


Estuary

by FireThatFox



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Haruno Sakura, Bad Ass Sassy Sakura, Clever Minato, Dark Minato, Deals with rabbit goddesses, Dubious Consent, Experimental Drugs, F/M, Molesting, Obito doesn't get saved by Madara, Off color side of humanity, Oh, Out of character Sakura, Sadistic Minato, Sex, Sexual Content duh, So Rin doesn't get chidoried by Kakashi, Some Crack, Stalker Minato, Time travel contract, Unfiltered dark desires, but not suicide, dimension hopping, ect - Freeform, everyone died in the war, killing yourself, not a lot but some, not cannon, not canon, poisons and antidotes, post 4th war, rape tag just in case, save one, so I don't forget - Freeform, sparring is foreplay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:46:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 85,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23202688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox
Summary: The trick to life is to know what you are really looking at, to really see what it is you are looking at and to understand what it means to you and to those around you.There is a darker side to Minato that he doesn't let people see.  He controls it, he hides it but when a certain pink haired kunoichi stumbles across him by accident he finds it harder and harder to maintain his perfect control.  Every moment, every look, every accidental touch brings him closer and closer to the edge.A Nara is a Nara, but not a Namikaze.  Madara doesn't know the meaning of failure, but he is a realist.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Namikaze Minato, Haruno Sakura & Nara Shikaku, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Madara, Haruno Sakura/Namikaze Minato, Haruno Sakura/Nara Shikaku, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Madara
Comments: 290
Kudos: 415





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Denise86](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denise86/gifts).



Pit pat. Pit pat. Pit pat.

The blood dripped from his fingers to the ground.

Pit pat. Pit pat. Pit pat.

His face rose to shine red and sticky in the moonlight, his blonde hair spattered liberally with the same blood that dripped from his fingers.

Pit pat. Pit Pat. Pit pat.

The moonlight caught the remaining gloss of blonde hair, the part that wasn't covered with blood.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. A twist of the lips, not quite a smile twitched the corners of his mouth. Bodies lay scattered around him. He could hear them coming. The rest of his team. They were...slow. Too slow for him. He flashed away, a streak of yellow and red. 

The Yellow Flash of Konoha.

Namikaze Minato touched down lightly on the rooftop of the Hokage tower. He breathed in the fresh air of his village, The Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Konoha was at war and at age 17 Namikaze Minato takes on a Genin Team. Minato walks to the edge of the platform and drops down from the roof, kicking off the side of the tower he leaps through the window of the Lord Third's office.

"Hokage Sama. I have returned before my team, the mission is complete. The advance special forces have been eliminated. I can feel the team, they have just passed through the gates, all are safe." Minato bows to the Lord Third.

The man before him is of medium height, tired eyes watch him as he bows having given his verbal report. All written reports have been dismissed due to the war efforts. All required active nin are keeping journals instead, as most are out on long term missions fighting for the Leaf...war efforts. Minato is one of the few elite Jounin that remain in the village. He and Akamichi Choza were chosen to train and guide a new Genin team of promising skill.

"Very good Minato, you never disappoint do you boy. I don't know why I even bothered assigning you a team for that mission. Well, your Genn are waiting for you. You might want to clean up before you meet them." The Lord Third waved the man away with his thanks.

'Clean up', Minato laughed internally. Yes, he needed to clean up, but how does one clean the blood from one's soul...impossible. He flashes to his apartment across the village beyond the market. It stands almost alone in a less traveled part of the village. He is the only occupant left. There were three others but they all perished in the war, the current war.

Minato pushed his way into his apartment and started pulling the bloody uniform off over his head. He turned the taps to his shower and steam filled the air. Stepping into the heat he closed his eyes and let the water run rushing down his back, he watched the water turn from innocent clear and pristine clean to dark bloodied, evil red and flakes of black and sinew. 

He had made a mess of them, needlessly. He liked the gutting though, the feel of the warmth as it enveloped his fingers, his wrist, his arm. The power. The surge that accompanied the sound of death.

Death had many sounds. Some were harsh and loud, like the screaming. Some were pathetic and puny like the begging from their lips. Some...his favorite, were soft and light, loving, like the whisper of breath across his face as he leaned in for the kill. Sometimes, he slows time, to relish the feeling, the heat, the sexuality of it all. Death, is sex.

Minato shakes his head, water flies from his shaggy blonde locks. His erection is unbearably hard and uncomfortable. The sounds, it will be his undoing and he takes hold of his member in his hand, one stroke, two and he gasps, so quickly, he gasps and releases his seed over the tiled wall of his shower. It's always like that after the kill, too many times he has had to stop and take care of himself before rejoining with his team. The need, the pull is...overwhelming.

Every nin has their vice. He knows this is just the way things are. Every nin has their vice. His vice is just a bit more complicated than others.

Minato grabs his shampoo bottle off of the shower shelf and upends it over his head, scrubbing and washing, the soapy lather cascading down his tight body, muscled killing tool that he is, a shinobi, an elite. 

To Konoha, he is Namikaze Minato, elite Jounin shinobi of the Leaf. A prodigy, a genius, The Yellow Flash of Konoha, loving, loyal, devoted to his village and their people.

To the world he is Namikaze Minato, lethal, deadly, ruthless killer, flee on sight, do not engage Yellow Menace of the Leaf.

To himself...he is two people, what people see and what they want to see, and something more sinister than even he can name. What do you call someone who kills thousands single handedly, a hero or a monster? What do you call someone who enjoys each kill, relishes in the feel of a heart in their hand, pulsating hot and throbbing in time with his own until...the squeeze, the cry, the scream...the euphoria. He is a god. He takes. 

He is bored. There is no challenge to this killing. That's why he accepted the Genin team The Lord Third offered him. He was bored. 

Turning the taps off he stepped into his waiting towel and dried off. Clean once more, blue eyes met him when he looked into the mirror, and he appeared what they all wanted him to be. A handsome smile, sky blue eyes, the hero of the Leaf. Namikaze Minato.

They were waiting for him on the bridge. Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. Kakashi was only 7 years old and a prodigy, Obito and Rin were older at the age of 9 but they were all babies to him. 'Too young' he thought, they had no business being in this war. He would make sure they were trained, that they would at least have a chance and he would be there, if he could.

"Sensei." Coal eyes met blue as Kakashi addressed him.

Minato nodded at the boy and flashed him a signature smile. The girl Rin, giggled and blushed while the other boy, the uchiha scoffed and shook his head at the girl.

"Hey Sensei." Obito greeted him.

"Sorry I'm late." He wasn't sorry but he knew it was the cordial thing to say.

"Oh! We knew you were on a mission, Sensei. Please don't apologize to us." The girl Rin bowed low to him.

"Thank you for understanding, let's go to training ground 5 shall we?" Minato walked for his new team's benefit and they made their way over to the training field. 

Once there Minato asked them to spar using only their taijutsu. 

"All, three of us together?" The girl asked him.

"Yes. I want to see how you stand up to one another, how you utilize your skills against multiple opponents and get an overall feel for your skill levels." He told them.

Obito leapt at Kakashi who doged. Rin stood there still watching the males then jumped in with a kick to Kakashi's head, which he dodged pulling his punch he was going to throw at Obito at Rin. She fell to the ground with a cry and Obito roared in outrage throwing himself at Kakashi who grabbed, turned and flipped him mid air. Obito had managed to grab the tail end of Kakashi's shirt and pulled the white haired genius down with him. Rin had gotten up off her ass and jumped on both boys' fists flying...it was a free for all brawl at this point, not a spar.

Minato shook his head and sighed. This would never do.


	2. Chapter 2

"It was a free for all, they spent thirty minutes kicking, biting and wailing on one another." Minato held back his laughter as he described his first day as a Sensei.

"You think you had it bad? Mine wouldn't stop yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs, I think I'll need to use a silencing jutsu on them until they can learn to stay quiet." Choza shook his head and picked up his cup of sake.

Minato lifted his cup and they clinked, "To the future." Both men drank and laughed holding onto one another.

Minato opened the door to his apartment. He had drank far too much. Drinking with Choza was dangerous, the man could drink like a fish without breaking a sweat. Minato was the only one who could drink with him and not pass out after the first two bottles. 

The blonde fell clumsily into his arm chair and stared out his window. He liked Konoha, he liked his missions and now he liked his little Genin team. It wasn't going to be easy, he liked a good challenge, but it wasn't the kind of challenge he needed, or wanted. He thought of Kushina, she was out on a mission right now but she would be back in a few days. They had been out on a couple of dates and it was going well but she was too compliant, she liked him too much, like everyone else he knew.

Sure she had a temper on her, they didn't call her the 'Red Hot Habanero', for nothing but she was still a bit too vanilla for his tastes. Unfortunately for him, there wasn't anyone else. So he would settle.

Minato slouched further into his chair as he continued to look out his window. He needed a woman with both strength and intelligence. Sex apeal and a rough disposition. Yes Kushina had all that but, he needed something...darker something more dangerous. Some might argue that because she was the nine tails jinchuriki that was dangerous, but that wasn't the same as a woman who had the predisposition for blood lust like he did, who took pleasure in killing, like he did. He needed an equal, something Kushina was not.

He groaned, he needed to get to bed. He was training the three misfits tomorrow at 7am sharp and he didn't want to be late. Something told him if he was, said misfits would hunt him down and make him regret it.

Kakashi was the first to arrive in a puff of smoke.

"Good morning Sensei." The silver haired boy bowed correctly, rigidly.

"Morning Kakashi." Minato patted him on the head like a ninkin, and then laughed when kakashi narrowed his eyes at him.

"Good morning Sensei!" Obito yelled as he ran up to them followed closely by Rin who wheezed out a similar greeting.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's go to the Hokage tower for a mission and learn a thing or two about team work shall we?" Minato started walking in the direction of the Hokage tower listening to Kakashi and Obito argue the whole way there.

"C-Rank, we have a C-rank mission?" Obito complained and Kakashi looked like he agreed.

"Until you three learn to work together you will be getting C-Rank or less." Minato said calmly.

"Let's just get this over with." Kakashi grabbed the scroll from Obito and read it, tossing it to Rin when he was done.

"I can do this alone, I don't need a team to do this." Kakashi started walking off.

"Kakashi come back, you must complete this mission as a team, do you understand?" Minato called after the boy.

"Yeah yeah." Kakashi said, waving for the rest of the team to follow him.

"Hey wait up Bakashi!" Obito sprinted after the silver head as Rin turned apologetically to their Sensei.

"Sorry Sensei." She said politely and ran after obito and Kakashi.

Minato rubbed his hand over his face..."I don't have the energy for this."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder, not cannon, so many changes, obviously:)

4 months later…

“Interesting.” The Third Hokage looked into his crystal ball, his palms around the base infused with his chakra.

He rapped his steady hand on the wood of his desk and a masked Anbu appeared before him.

“Yes Lord Hokage?” The Anbu said from his kneeling position before the man.

“Get me Namikaze please.” Lord Third Said, his eyes turning back to the globe before him.

“Yes Sir!” The Anbu disappeared and almost immediately, Namikaze Minato appeared before him.

“You asked for me Hokage Sama?” Minato asked politely.

The Third Hokage continued to look down into his crystal ball. A flash of pink, destruction and blood flitted across the glass. The Hokage pulled his hands from the globe with a little more effort than usual.

“Yes, someone is coming. I do not know when but I think it will be soon. They will come in a whirlwind of pink and blood, but they are an ally. I have seen it, you will be the one to bring them to the Leaf.” The Lord Third said calmly.

“Pink and blood.” Minato repeated thoughtfully.

“When the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Soon. Dismissed” The Lord Third said casting a glance back down at his globe.

“Yes Sir.” Minato was used to The Hokage giving him odd visions, sometimes they changed and sometimes they didn’t.

A month later Minato and his team were sent to war.

“We need you to destroy the Kannabi bridge to cut off the vital pathway to Iwagakure's line of supply. Kakashi this will be the first test of your new promotion to Jounin, you will lead your team on this mission. Minato will travel with you as far as the break, then Minato, I will need you at the front lines.” The Lord Third explained their mission to them.

“Good luck, come home safe.” The Lord Third patted each member of Team Minato on the head and shook Minato’s hand.

“Dismissed.” 

Minato flashed to the front lines, a clenching in his heart. They were so young, this would be their first war, were they ready for this? So many questions rolled through his mind. If he became Hokage, when he corrected himself, when he became Hokage, that would change. There would be an age limit for children entering war, much higher than the founders had decreed.

The walls of the cavern fell around them. Obito flipped and landed unbalanced and fell back, he could see Kakshi pulling Rin after him as they leapt over the lip of the crater that used to be the cave. She was safe, that’s all that mattered he told himself, as a huge rock fell and tumbled, his ankle, it was caught in between two rocks, he couldn’t avoid it.

“Shannnaroo!” Obito looked up and saw a flash of pink. 

The boulder exploded to dust and a petite pink haired woman landed gracefully in front of him, her back to him. Obito saw that she wore a mask, an Anbu mask of a wolverine. She turned her head and looked down at him. Obito could make out green eyes, direct and piercing.

“Get up.” She said.

“I can’t my ankle, it’s stuck.” He tried to pull his leg from in between the two rocks but couldn’t.

“Take a deep breath, this is going to hurt.” She bent over and pulled the two massive rocks apart and his ankle came free.

Obito bit his lip but didn’t scream.

Before the rocks could roll back into place she pulled his ankle from the rocks and lifted him in her arms jumping to the top of the crater.

“Halt!” Kakashi’s voice could be heard closeby.

Obito felt the woman’s body tense against his, he could feel her chakra cracking around them. He looked up at her face, she was looking down at him, she winked, and then there was nothing. Obito was dropped to the ground in a woosh, he heard Rin cry out in surprise and felt something fall beside him on the ground. A grunt. Kakashi.

“She is so fast. I’ve never seen anyone so fast besides Sensei!” Rin said amazed, edging her way over to Kakashi and Obito.

“Behind you!’ Obito yelled.

The woman flickered and reappeared behind the Iwa nin cutting up and across, he fell in parts at her feet.

“Shit.” Obito coughed then turned his head and threw up.

Rin clasped both of her hands over her mouth.

Kakashi leapt to his feet in front of Rin and pulled Obito to the side behind him ignoring his gasps of pain.

“Who are you?” He demanded.

“I am a Konoha kunoichi Hatake, relax brat.” She laughed.

“How do you know me?” Kakashi demanded, he didn’t like her, something about her was...off.

“I told you, I’m a Konoha kunoichi, now let me heal Obito’s ankle before it gets any worse, then you can be on your way.” She sat down on the ground rubbing her shoulder.

“You’re a healer?” Rin asked in fascination ignoring the fact that she knew their names, she had always wanted to be a healer, but there hadn’t been anyone to teach her beyond entry level.

“Among other things, kid.” The kunoichi winked at the girl who giggled.

Obito rose to his feet and tried to limp over to the masked woman but was held back by Kakashi.

“Are you insane, you don’t even know if she is telling the truth!” Kakashi growled at Obito who pulled his shirt from his team mates grasp.

“Shut up Bakashi, she could have killed all three of us three times over and you know it, I trust her.” Obito moved closer to the woman and smiled.

Her hands glowed green and she placed them gently over his ankle. The lines of pinched pain in Obito’s face receded into a look of complete shock.

“Oh my gosh.” He rubbed his ankle and stood, stomping down on it hard.

Rin gasped and Kakashi narrowed his eyes further in greater suspicion.

“It’s like new!” Obito turned to Rin and grinned, then turning back to the woman, “Thank you.”

“It’s what I do.” She waved to them. “Time for me to go.” and she disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick reminder that this isn't canon.

Minato, worried for his team, left the front lines once he had decimated their forces with his Flying god formula tags. He located their chakra signatures moving at a steady pace back toward Konoha and sighed a breath of relief. They had completed their mission and were heading home. He met them on the outskirts of the forest before the gate.

“Sensei!” Obito yelled to him when he appeared before them.

His eyes passed over them quickly. Minato noticed the tear and rip in Obito's pant leg, there was blood coating the bottom of his ripped pants but he saw no injury.

“What has happened.?” He asked them quickly.

They all started talking at once, even Kakashi and he blinked.

“One at a time. Rin, you first.” He pointed to the girl who blushed.

“There was a woman Sensei, a beautiful woman! She smashed the boulder that had trapped Obito’s foot and pulled him to safety, she healed him. Right there!” Rin exclaimed.

“She said she was from Konoha.” Kakashi took up the story.

“She wore the mask of a wolverine, an Anbu mask. She helped us.” Kakashi said begrudgingly.

“She was an angel!” Obito blushed almost as deeply as Rin. “She saved us from an Iwa nin who was going to cut down Kakashi but, she...she cut him...in half. He dropped at her feet and she didn’t even flinch.” Obito swallowed hard and his eyes began to water.

“Don’t be such a baby Obito, death is a part of war.” Kakashi said condescendingly.

“I know that Bakashi!” Obito yelled angrily. “She was amazing! She was so fast! Almost as fast as you sensei!” Obito said loudly in his excitement.

“Faster Sensei, she was faster than you.” Rin said, her eyes wide.

“I’ve never seen anyone that could heal like her, it was as if, as if Obito’s ankle had never been crushed.

“Crushed?” Minato asked. “She healed it on the spot with no other lasting effects when his ankle had been crushed?”

“Yes.” Rin said.

Minato looked to Kakashi who nodded in reluctant agreement.

Minato had never heard of such healing skills. Even the best healers couldn’t fully repair a crushed ankle, it was beyond known medical prowess of the time. Their best healer Tsunade might have been able to come close but even she, at her current skill level, couldn’t repair a crushed ankle flawlessly.

“Show me.” Minato crouched down beside Obito who lifted his leg and pulled up the remaining bloodied tatters of his pants and kicked off his boot.

“See!” Obito waggled his foot back and forth in front of his Sensei who ran a finger over the ankle.

Minato could see where the skin was new, could see the shine of the slight scarring, in time, there wouldn’t be any scarring, it was like nothing he had ever seen before. He could guess the extent of the damage from the newly formed skin but he had to admit, it was difficult, she had done a wonderful job healing the boy.

“Where did she go after, is she in Konoha, did she return before you?” He asked his team.

They looked at one another then Kakashi said, “She disappeared. She said she had to go then was gone, just like you Sensei.” He said.

“You let her leave?” Minato asked Kakashi surprised the suspicious boy would have let a person like that treat Obito then leave without hauling her back to the village for questioning.

“I wouldn’t have been able to stop her.” Kakashi bit out, clearly pissed off, revealing that had been his original intention.

“Interesting.” Minato stood there looking his team over.

Minato bent down to Obito’s ankle again. There were faint traces of the woman’s chakra on his skin. Minato closed his eyes and absorbed the last remnants of her chakra into his hands.

“Go home, report to Lord Third, I’m going to find this woman. She may have helped you, but we can’t afford to have unknown shinobi lurking around the battlefield, no matter how helpful they might be.” He took a step away from his team intending to flicker away to gauge her position better, tracing her signature.

“Sensei wait.” Rin said quickly, drawing his attention back to the small group.

“She saved us, don’t...um, try not to hurt her okay, please?” Rin almost pleaded.

‘They are so young’, Minato thought again.

“This is war Rin. I won’t hurt her unless I have to.” Minato said seriously.

Rin’s bottom lip quivered.

“I at least need to thank her for saving my team right?” He said with false cheer.

Rin smiled weakly and nodded.

“Be careful Sensei, she is dangerous, her chakra is immense and she is concealing it. I could tell, there is more to her than we could see, and I’m not talking about what might be behind her mask sensei.” Kakashi warned.

Minato nodded, this could be interesting. Minato waited for his team to start their walk back to the gates of Konoha, then closed his eyes and reached his senses out, his eyes snapped open. ‘Got you’. He flashed away, stepping down lightly in a field and righted his location, then flashed again to the cave where he could still feel Obito, Kakashi and Rin’s chakra. It was faint, but a small amount of the chakra that had been around Obito’s ankle was there as well.

He turned around in a wide circle moving slowly. ‘Was she still here?’, he wondered.

Looking down he saw the body of the Iwa nin the kids had told him about. He was cut in half...diagonally. ‘Interesting’, he thought. She could have just stabbed him through the heart, or head but no, she took the extra effort to cut him in half...diagonally...it spoke of design. She had done it intentionally. She had ‘wanted’ to cut him in half like that. ‘Was it preference, or habit’, he wondered.

Sakura walked along the edge of the ridge, one foot falling gently in front of the other as she looked around. ‘Where the fuck is he? ’Was her information wrong? She jumped down from the small ridge, kicked off of the side of the mountain and twisted through the air as she fell to the ground below, a small crater cushioning her fall.

“Impressive kunoichi.” A deep voice complimented her from behind.

Sakura turned around slowly, she hadn't even felt him, but of course he was Madara Uchiha.

“Uchiha Sama.” Sakura bowed low, unclasping her mask from her face, straightening and looked him in the eye.

He was old, age lined his face, and yet, one could still tell he had been a devastatingly handsome man in his not so distant years.

“You know me.” It wasn’t a question.

“Who wouldn’t know you, Uchiha Sama?” Sakura smirked at him, lowering her lashes coquettishly at him.

“Don’t play coy with me woman. I know you have been traipsing all over the ridge looking for me. Well here I am, what do you want with this old man?” He asked her, cutting to the point.

“How do you know I was looking for you?” She asked him seriously.

“Come now kunoichi.” He was annoyed but she could also tell he was intrigued.

“You have both avoided all enemy shinobi, quite skillfully I might add, only stopping once in your search to heal those brats.” He paused.

“Why did you bother to heal them anyway?” He asked her sitting down on a rock to look at her more carefully.

“It isn’t important.” She replied curtly, her eyes following his every move.

Madara was amused. She didn’t underestimate him, even with his old appearance and subdued chakra signature. She hadn’t taken her eyes off of him once since their meeting, she was smart, ‘But why was she here’, he wondered. ‘Ah, a fluctuation in her chakra’, he smiled.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the old man before her. He was not what he appeared to be. He may look like an old man but he was...a henge, he was wearing a henge, why hadn’t she seen it before.

“Clever girl.” Madara smiled at her seeing her eyes widen, she knew.

“Why?” She asked him, “What does it matter, you don’t travel into villages and in this war I doubt anyone would recognize you or have a chance to get a good look at you before they attacked and you killed them.” She placed her hand on her hip.

“You recognized me.” He pointed out casually.

“As you know, I was looking for you. There is a difference.” She rolled her eyes at him and he laughed. It was a low masculine laugh, and she quite liked it.

“Yes I know, and why would a kunoichi of the Leaf, from the future, be here now, in this time looking for little old me?” He asked her playfully.

“Release your henge.” She said.

“Release yours.” He countered and she smiled.

She had made herself look older, near on twenty years older, thinking it would help deter any unwanted conflicts while she searched for her target. At the age of 18, with pink locks, she tended to attract a lot of unwanted attention, in both her time and this one.

Sakura flared her chakra and released her henge.

‘There’, Minato turned to the east and flashed into the forest by the ridge not far from where his team had met the masked woman, he had been traveling in the wrong direction. With his chakra masked to nothing he crouched in the trees and watched two figures talk as though in leisure but for the undercurrent of tension he could feel in the air around them.

A woman, with shocking pink hair stood before what appeared to be an old man of extensive age who was sitting on a rock.

“Much better, an improvement I assure you kunoichi.” Madara smiled a satisfied smile. She had made no move to protest his claim, he knew she couldn’t, just as she knew, he knew he was right.

“Will you not reciprocate? Lord Uchiha?” She said with near mocking politeness.

Madara graciously inclined his head to her and released his henge.

Sakura showed no outward signs but she was pleased her previous assumption had been accurate, he was a very attractive man, much more attractive than Sasuke, possibly even more attractive than Itachi but it was close. Looks weren’t the only thing Sakura looked for in a man.

Madara smirked at her, he knew the effect he had on women and even if she didn’t show it, he knew she found him attractive.

“I’ve seen better.” She shot out of the corner of her mouth returning his smirk.

“Now that we are both ourselves, tell me kunoichi, what is your name and why have you been looking for me?” Madara linked his ankles out in front fo him, his arms back behind him resting his weight on them and looked at her expectantly.

“Are you sure you want to discuss that, in front of our company?” Sakura quirked her brow at Madara who grinned.

“I wondered, it seems you are just as skilled as I thought you were. Impressive dear.” He stood and dusted off his pants and shirt looking past her into the trees where Minato made himself ready for their attack.

Before Madara could move she had disappeared, Minato felt her materialize behind him and dodged at the last moment flipping over and to the side, his fingers digging into the dirt.

“Shit, that was close.” He grinned at her pulling formula tags from his pouch as he slid across the forest floor on his knee.

“Not close enough it seems.” She smirked as he threw tags at her, she jumped and weaved, he grinned and started flashing all over the woods beside her...she countered every attack, every kunai, every attempt.

Sakura felt Madara’s presence fading and she sighed, how annoying.

Minato stopped just a few meters from her and watched her, she was good.

Sakura huffed a little annoyed that their meeting had been interrupted. She would need to find him again. Saving Obito had given her a little time though, he would need to find another host so to speak. Her eyes moved over Minato, he was much better looking than his son she decided, and they were about the same age now she guessed looking at his face.

‘The golden boy of Konoha, the Yellow Flash...thanks for interrupting, you couldn’t have hid your chakra better?” She was annoyed and it had come out a bit more harsh than she had intended.

Minato ignored her insult to ask a question of his own. “Are you the Anbu that saved my team?”

“Of course I am, you followed my chakra here no doubt.” She rolled her eyes at him.

“You’re a Konoha kunoichi they said, but I’ve never met you, who are you?” He asked her.

“No one that concerns you.” Sakura fixed her mask back on her face and looked over his shoulder.

Minato had felt them approaching but had hoped for more time to ask her a few more questions at least.

They exploded out of the trees in twos and threes landing almost in a row in front of Sakura and Minato. Sakura moved to stand beside Minato. He nodded to her. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He said to her with a gentle infliction at the end.

“I’m not your enemy Namikaze, but we aren’t friends.” Sakura winked at him then jumped into the air and slammed her fist down into the earth in front of the row of Iwa nin and the ground exploded.

“Wow.” Minato said and threw his formula tags knocking the Iwa nin to the ground one by one.

“Is there no one in Iwa that poses a challenge?” Sakura said annoyed at how easily they fell.

She kicked one of the nin on the ground and he groaned, “Bitch.”

“I’m sorry what did you say?” She pulled her sword from her back and leaned over politely for him to answer her.

“I said, you’re a fucking bi.” He was cut short by a sword in his chest.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.” Sakura pulled her blade from his heart and flung his blood to the trees.

Minato couldn’t help it, he laughed. Grinning at her he pulled two kunai from his pouch and spun them in his fingers, “Shall we?” he winked at her.

“Let’s.” She laughed and they killed them all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> made a mild change to plot.
> 
> Sakura's Anbu status is active, not revoked as previously written.

Minato watched as she pulled her kunai from the last Iwa nin, twisting it cruelly with a smirk.

“Too easy, not even worth my time.” She muttered with a sigh.

He knew exactly what she meant. His eyes flashed over her figure with interest as she turned to him, her hand on her hip.

“I’m not interested, you’re not my type.” She said casually slipping her last blade back into her pouch and looking off into the distance.

“What type do you think I am?” Minato asked playfully.

“You’re a pretty boy, talented of course, but still a bit too sweet for my tastes.” She turned from him and disappeared without another word.

Minato spun on his heel and looked around, he tried to pinpoint her chakra but couldn’t…’She had wanted him to find her?’. He could locate chakra signatures anywhere on the continent, no matter how far, and usually no matter how faint. It seemed she was the exception and it made him want to pursue her even more than he already did.

His eyes passed over the bloodied corpses, they had made a mess of them. She was vicious, and deadly, and fast...and perfect. Minato felt the normal pull of desire after the kill, only this time it was much more fierce, much stronger and he groaned. He had to find her, he had to know her name.

Sakura ran across the top of the cliffs as she sought Madara’s chakra signature, there were still things she had needed to say to him, to ask him, to tell him.

“Damn Naruto’s dad.” She hissed as she jumped over Madara’s head at the Valley of the End and landed on top of Hashirama’s looking around. It was faint but she swore she could feel it. He was close by, but where.

He had known she was from the future, how could he know such things, and where the hell was he, she stomped on top of Hashirama’s head and glowered.

Madara could feel her moving around on top of the statues, he had felt her coming and had taken refuge inside the cave hidden behind the waterfall. He needed more information before he spoke with her again. It was clear she wanted or needed something from him but he didn’t like going into battle unprepared.

He could feel the ominous chakra that surrounded her and wondered how it was possible. Uzumaki Kushina, was the nine tails jinchuriki, it was impossible for that pink haired woman to possess any of its chakra. It was faint, if he hadn’t already been familiar with it, he might not even have noticed it. Was it sealed he wondered, or did she not know that she possessed it herself?

Madara’s thoughts were interrupted by another now familiar chakra signature, Namikaze. It seemed he wasn’t the only one interested in the pink haired kunoichi. Madara flickered away, he would find her later, when he was ready.

Sakura could feel him closing in on her and she sighed. She had better things to do than talk to Naruto’s dad. Sakura made the hand signs and just as she was about to disappear a flash of yellow knocked her to the ground.

“What the fuck is your problem!” She sprang to her feet short sword in hand swinging up and stepping to the left to avoid his block, cutting under his arm in a crouch and sliding to the right on her knees, rolling behind him and jumping away to land gracefully on her feet, her other sword draw so that she had one in each hand, her knees slightly bent ready to either attack or defend again.

“You left without telling me your name.” Minato grinned at her, she was so fast, she had dodged every attempted strike. He could feel his pulse jumping in his veins at his excitement.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the blonde. He was so much like Naruto and then again, so very different. The grin was the same and yet...it wasn’t. She cocked her head at him while she compared the man before her to her best friend that was no longer alive.

She saw the twitch before he moved, she ducked, he turned mid air, she dropped to the ground and rolled, he threw two kunai and flashed to her side. She had been expecting it, she cut up across his chest, he stumbled back hand pressed to his wound and smiled sweetly at her, too sweetly and she took a step back.

‘Got you’, one of his hands slid around her waist from behind while the other disarmed her, pulling her down to the ground rolling, he pinned her underneath him, while she thrashed and kicked. Behind them his shadow clone popped out of existence.

“Damn it.” Sakura gasped, her mask was pressing into her face blocking the side of her nose that hadn't been crushed in their fall to the ground, she couldn’t breath.

She tried to rub her face on the ground to pull her mask off but she couldn’t.

“Take my mask off.” She barked at him.

“I can’t breathe.” She explained when he didn’t move.

Minato narrowed his eyes at her expecting it to be some sort of ploy or trick. Placing his weight on his forearm and his forearm over her upper chest by her throat he whipped his other hand from her wrists to pull her mask from her face.

“Thanks asshole.” She said ungrateful, and he smiled even wider at her.

“Get off of me.” She glared at him.

“No.” He continued to look down at her.

Sakura pushed up with her hips to off set him but he locked his ankles around her and spread his legs apart effectively pinning her legs down with his.

Sakura growled and began to breathe heavily under his weight and the strain of being pinned to the ground.

Minato swallowed hard and wished she would stop moving, he could feel where her chest was rubbing up against his, could feel her heat through his clothes and the smell of her sweat on her hair from the light breeze passing over them. He could feel where his groin pressed into her own and his hips twitched at their position.

A low growl escaped her lips, she had noticed.

“Tell me your name.” He demanded, moving one hand to gather her wrists together and force them above her head, ignoring her warning.

“It doesn’t matter who I am and it’s none of your business anyway.” Sakura tried to infuse her hands with chakra to break his hold but she couldn’t. She frowned.

“Chakra cuffs.” Minato grinned at her again.

“How did you, when the hell did you do that and where did you get them from, I didn’t see you pull any out.” She snarled, she was pissed.

Minato lifted one of his hands and pulled his long sleeved jounin sleeve up with his teeth and held his wrist in front of her face, “Storage seal.” He smiled.

“That’s...actually really ingenious.” She hated to admit it, but it was.

“Um hum, so tell me your name now.” He leaned half of his weight on the palm on his hand as he rested his elbow on the ground beside her, his other hand still holding her wrists above her head. He waited patiently, his blue eyes staring into her green ones.

“I can wait.” He smiled when she made no move to speak.

“I’m rather comfortable actually, are you?” Minato looked down at her, his eyes moving slowly along the curve of her cheek, down her neck and over her chest.

“Sakura.” She spat her name out of her mouth at him.

His eyes snapped back up to hers.

“Sakura.” He said her name as if tasting it on his lips and broke out into a brilliant smile.

“I’m.” but Minato didn’t get to tell her who he was because she started squirming underneath him again.

“I know who you are Namikaze, now get the fuck off of me. I told you I’m a Konoha nin!” She started bucking wildly and he tightened his hold on her wrists and legs, pressing her down firmly into the ground with his hips, his head falling forward to her neck trying to restrain her with brute force.

Sakura stilled when she felt his lips against her neck. “What are you doing?” She asked him.

Minato didn’t answer her, but she could feel his hot breath against her skin.

“I’m taking you back to Konoha with me. There is a war, as you know, I don’t know you, it is my duty to take you back for questioning.” He got off of her abruptly and pulled her roughly to her feet.

“The cuffs stay on.” He smirked at her. “I know you’ll try to run away again.”

“I don’t want to go back to Konoha.” She started to back away from him but he pulled her back by the wrists.

“The Third Hokage told me I would meet you and that I would be the one to bring you to the village, so that’s what I’m going to do, the Hokage is never wrong about his visions.” Minato slipped two kunai she hadn’t realized he was holding back into his pouch.

“The Lord Third said that you would meet me?” She asked curiously to make sure she had heard him correctly.

He nodded looking at her, watching her reaction. ‘A flurry of pink and blood’, he remembered the Third Hokage’s words. Sakura was definitely a flurry of pink and blood.

“Okay.” She said and smiled.

“Okay?” He was suspicious of her sudden compliance.

“If he is expecting me, maybe he knows and can help me somehow.” She said cryptically.

Minato couldn’t find any deceite or hesitation in her words. He nodded pleased she wasn’t going to fight him all the way back to the village. He moved and placed his hand on her back, bent and picked her up behind the knees swinging her up into his arms bridal style.

“What the hell are you doing?” She glared at him again, her green eyes sparking with anger.

“Carrying you, I’m not walking all the way back, and I don’t trust you to come with me if I take off your chakra cuffs, no matter what you say.” He began running fast through the trees, flickering every so often with her in his arms and soon they were just outside of the gates of Konoha. He set her down.

“I thought you might like to walk through the gates on your own.” He smiled pleasantly at her.

Sakura didn’t respond, she stomped out of the woods onto the path that led to the gates with Minato following close behind at a leisurely pace.

Minato waved to the guards who had stepped out to meet Sakura. “She’s with me.” Minato said, smiling at them, “We’re going to see the Hokage, can you let him know?” Minato looked at the guards pointedly.

“Of course Namikaze San.” One guard said, giving Sakura a curious look, her Anbu mask hanging from her belt at her side where Minato had tied it.

“Thanks.” Minato waved at them as he led Sakura down the main road that would take them to the Hokage Tower.

“I know where to go you know, I told you I’m from Konoha.” She hissed as he continued to grip her by her cuffed wrists as they walked down the street to many wide eyed stares of both civilian and shinobi alike.

“I wouldn’t have had to do this if you hadn’t fought me so hard.” He told her with a devious twinkle in his eye.

He was humiliating her on purpose, she gnashed her teeth and ignored his smirk.

They walked the rest of the way to the tower in silence. Sakura stomped ahead of him into the building and walked to the right , up the winding stairs and then left into the Hokage’s office. Minato watched in amusement, she really was a Konoha nin, she knew exactly where to go.

“Hokage Sama.” Minato bowed to the Hokage.

“This is Sakura, the woman you told me I would bring to the village in a flurry of pink and blood.” 

Saratobi looked at Sakura with great interest. “Why is she in chakra cuffs Minato?”

“We had a slight disagreement Sir, I wasn’t sure if she would come willingly.” He explained.

Sakura rolled her eyes, “Idiot.” She mumbled.

“What did you say Sakura San?” The Third Hokage smiled at her.

“I called him an idiot Hokage Sama. He ought to have told me from the begining you had a vision of me being here, I wouldn’t have fought him so much if he had.” She turned and glared at Minato.

“Now get these fucking cuffs off me so I can punch you through the fucking head!” Sakura shook her fists at Minato who was smiling at her again.

The Lord Third stifled his laugh with a cough and gestured to Minato to release her.

“Are you sure, she’s a feisty one.” Minato grinned at Sakura who growled at him again making him laugh even more.

Minato unclasped the cuffs from her wrists and sealed them back into his seal under his sleeve and stepped back with a mocking bow to Sakura.

“Thank you Minato, you are dismissed.” The Third Hokage nodded to Minato surprising the man.

Minato opened his mouth to protest but stopped and bowed. With one last look at Sakura he left the office.

“So, Sakura, what is your last name if I might ask?” Hiruzen asked her politely.

“Haruno, Lord Third.” Her voice didn’t waver but her eyes followed him, he looked just the same, the same as she remembered him. Perhaps a few less wrinkles but it was still him and it made her smile.

“Ah are you by chance related to Mebuki Haruno and her husband Kizashi? Lord Third asked her.

“They are my parents Sir.” She told him truthfully.

“The ball never lies, but it is hazy, sometimes I don’t know what I’m seeing when I look at it. That’s the trick though isn’t it, it’s the same with most things. What you see and perceive, is not always, what is.” He smiled at her.

“As wise now as you were then Sir.” Sakura smiled at him.

“It’s nice to know I still have my head when I get older, at least it won’t fail me.” He smiled back at her.

“No Sir, your head will not fail you, only your heart.” She said sadly recalling the Chunin exams and the attack on the Leaf by one of his former students.

“My heart?” He repeated her words.

“I apologize Sir, I shouldn’t have said anything.” Sakura bowed her head.

“I have seen parts of why you are here. I know better than to ask you about the future, I will only ask that while you are here to keep a low profile if you can, do not cause any trouble and to take a mission every now and then for the public eye. I will tell the ranks you were away on a long term mission and have recently returned. Your Anbu status will remain active, I admit we could use your help. Do not wear your mask inside the village walls, but you may wear it outside to conceal your identity.”

“You must have seen a great deal to trust me so freely, Hokage Sama.” Sakura noted his tense shoulders and pinched mouth.

“I saw more than I needed to and wished that I hadn’t.” Hiruzen admitted.

“It isn’t your job to change the future Hokage Sama. It’s mine.” She grinned at him and smiled.

“I will have an Anbu escort you to your lodgings. You will be provided with a small allowance while you are here. I did not see a time frame or the seasons change in my visions, do you know, how long it will, how long you will need to find him?” Hiruzen asked carefully.

“Ah, so you know that much. I have already found him, but Namikaze got in the way.” Sakura’s eyes turned hard.

“I see.” Hiruzen did see now why there was such animosity between the two.

“Take all the time you need of course, and let me know if you need anything. I will give you time to settle in before giving you your first mission.” He waved her in dismissal handing her a small purse.

An Anbu in a bird mask stepped up beside her as she exited the office to lead her to her lodgings.

Minato had just gotten out of the shower when he saw the pink haired woman walking with a masked Anbu into his building and up the stairs. He listened as she thanked the Anbu, heard the door to the apartment below him open then shut. Apparently he wasn't the only person living in his building anymore and wondered if the Lord Third had done it on purpose.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three faces from the past and the familiar taste of Ichiraku ramen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a small change tot he last chapter, see last chapter notes.

Sakura stood in the middle of the studio apartment and sighed. There was a bathroom to the right with a shower. She could see a modern style bath just inside the door and smiled. The kitchen was open to the rest of the room on one wall and a platform bed was against the wall by the sliding glass door window.

It wasn’t anything special but she didn’t need anything fancy. Hopefully she wouldn’t be here long. She pulled the time travel contract from her pouch and opened it. It was an open ended contract without a time frame, just as she had requested. She grit her teeth in anger, too many had paid for this scroll with their lives, she wouldn’t let them down, this was her second chance, all of their second chances. 

She rubbed her hands over her face and grimaced. Looking down, she saw the dried blood under her nails and sighed. Walking to the bathroom she made the hand signs of protection for her temporary home, she would set her traps later, right now she just wanted to get clean. A tight grunt escaped her lips. Clean...she hadn’t felt clean since the war.

The tile was cool against her skin as she leaned back on the wall and let the hot water fall over her chest. She hadn’t thought to bring her soap with her, there had only been one bar left anyhow. Ducking her head under the spray she rubbed her hair as clean as she could, massaging the blood and dirt from her long pink strands. She had let her hair grow after the war, there was no reason to keep it short, she had been the only one left.

Turning off the taps she stepped out onto the tiled floor of the bathroom and used a clean shirt to dry off with. She would need to go to the market to pick up a few things, a towel being one of them, soap being another. Wrapping her hair up in her shirt she made her way into the studio and pulled clean clothes from her bag. Her old jounin shirt and pants, underwear she had salvaged from one of the villages that had still been standing after the war and a bra.

Sakura pursed her lips, and added new jounin clothes to her mental list. She had been happy to take the Hokage’s generosity but she didn’t need it. She had more than enough money. 

Once she had struck a contract to travel back, she had gone to every house, in nearly every village in the Land of Fire and sealed away all the money she could find into a bank storage scroll. No, she didn’t need money, but she did need new jounin clothes and a few other things that she hadn’t been able to scavenge before leaving.

Dumping her bag out unceremoniously on the floor of the studio she sperated her storage scrolls into organized piles. Food and water, kitchenware and camping goods, clothes and personal effects, weapons, poisons and antidotes, medical and her bank scroll. She unrolled and pushed chakra into her kitchenware and camping scroll, pulling things out and putting them into her cupboards, then her clothes and personal effects. Her hand hovered over the picture of Team 7 momentarily. No one would recognize the Genin but her old Sensei, Hatake Kakashi was very recognizable. Still, she didn’t plan on having company over so she pulled it out and set it on the night stand by her bed casting a slight genjutsu over Kakashi’s face.

Sakura took her time feeling her way around the floor boards along the perimeter of her new home until she found what she had been looking for. Tapping down with her foot she pressed a bit of chakra into her fingers to pull up the already loosened board and set her other storage scrolls into it, sealing the board back in place and casting a protection jutsu over top.

Combing her fingers through her hair she checked her appearance in the bathroom mirror, her hair was almost dry, she would leave it down. She tied the purse the Hokage had given her to her belt and locked her apartment door behind her.

Sakura stretched and closed her eyes, enjoying the open layout of the apartment building and shielding her eyes against the sun in the sky, she smiled.

“Hi there!” A woman’s voice interrupted Sakura’s peaceful moment and she opened her eyes.

“Hi.” Sakura smiled at Kushina Uzumaki who had just walked up the steps of the building.

“Are you here to see Minato?” Kushina asked then hit herself in the forehead, “Where are my manners, I’m Kushina, Kushina Uzumaki.” The red head stuck her hand out at Sakura who looked at it with a sort of concerned internal look.

She was having flashbacks to Naruto, he was just like his mother apparently, the same friendly outward attitude, the same wide grin, and the same inflictions when they talked. Sakura’s smile widened.

“I’m Sakura, nice to meet you Kushina, no I'm not here to see Minato. I just got home from a long term mission and the Lord Third gave me this apartment.” Sakura motioned to the door behind her.

“Oh! That’s great! Minato will be pleased, he was the only one living here before you got here, it’s been awhile since someone else lived in the building with him. I kept telling him to move but he said he liked it here. I don’t why, there’s no one here, it’s removed from the rest of the village hidden away down a rarely traveled street and….”

‘Yup, just like Naruto.’, Sakura continued to smile at the woman.

“Kushina, you’re back from your mission?” A familiar male voice interrupted the red head.

“Yeah, I just got back and I saw Sakura here and we got to talking ya know.” Kushina beamed at Minato who smiled kindly back at the woman.

His eyes traveled to Sakura and sharpened a bit, then relaxed into their natural state of controlled calm. Kushina hadn’t seemed to notice because she was still talking, but Sakura had and she narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

“...so you’ll have to come over some time and have dinner with us okay?” Kushina ended smiling brightly at Sakura.

“Uh, maybe after I get settled in. I need to go to the market and get a few things, food, clothes and such.” Sakura smiled without her teeth, she rather liked Kushina.

“Clothes?” Kushina asked her curiously.

“Yes.” Sakura almost fidgeted in her feet, she wanted to leave, she didn’t like the calm stare Minato was giving her, it made her feel uncomfortable and she didn’t want to cause a scene with her usual snarky remarks.

“I’ll go with you!” Kushina said loudly then covered her mouth. “I mean, if you like, I need to get an outfit for the Spring festival, we can pick one out together!” Kushina slid her arm into Sakura’s and started pulling her down the steps.

“Wait, but weren’t you, I mean, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your plans with Minato, obviously you two were going on a date or something right?” Sakura tried to pull her arm back from Kushina but found the woman had a death grip on her, a very Naruto like death grip.

“Nonsense, he won’t mind, do you Minato?” Kushina spun Sakura around so that both of them were facing the blonde who was smiling at them.

“Not at all, you ladies have fun, I have a few errands to run myself. I’ll meet you back here later.” He leaned in pulling Kushina forward just a little by the waist and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek, his hand brushing Sakura’s by accident.

“Minato!” Kushina blushed and pulled away looking at Sakura nervously, her face red.

“I just wanted a kiss, Sakura doesn’t mind, I haven’t seen you for a few weeks.” He smiled at the red head while he watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye.

Sakura rolled her eyes, ‘What a line, this guy’, she scoffed at him in her head.

“We’ll see you later, I want to show Sakura all the good shops.” Kushina grinned at Minato who waved them off.

Minato stood on the steps and watched the two women as they walked down the steps and onto the street that would take them to the market, on the other side of Konoha. He was just about to turn and walk back up the steps when he heard Kushina start talking again.

“So are you married, or seeing anyone?” Kushina asked, nudging the pink haired woman.

“No.” Sakura blushed.

“No one?” Kushina said loudly, loud enough for Minato to hear even as they continued to walk away from him.

Minato didn’t hear Sakura’s response, he didn’t have to, she had already told Kushina that she wasn’t married, or seeing anyone. Minato smiled, there wouldn’t be any competition. He continued to watch as they turned a corner, Sakura’s long pastel pink hair blowing back with a change of the wind and he couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like gripped tight in his fists as he pulled her head back while he bit her neck.

“I’ve been away for a few years.” Sakura explained to one of Kushina’s many questions that she had asked her since they had left the apartment building.

Sakura secretly cursed the Lord Third, she hadn’t known Minato was in the same building, she hadn’t felt his chakra. He didn’t seem very surprised to see her and she wondered if he had sealed the whole building or just his own apartment. She would have to check when she got back, after she put up traps.

She ought to be grateful though she supposed she could have had worse neighbors, at least Minato was harmless. Sakura knew from her original time what an amazing man the Lord Fourth had been, Naruto was a testament to that. The man was practically a saint. 

Sakura bit her lip, there were a few flaws in that statement however, no one had ever mentioned him having a devious sense of humor, but she had been difficult. She shrugged, it was probably her, after all, it had been a long time since she had been around so many people.

‘Speaking of so many people’, Sakura’s steps faltered as Kushina pulled her out into the busy Konoha market.

‘Had it always been this busy?’ she asked herself as she looked around.

“You okay?” Kushina asked her with a worried look on her face.

“Yeah, sorry just, it’s been a long time since I’ve been home and I guess I’m not used to how busy it is here again, yet.” Sakura stumbled over her words.

So many had died during Pein’s attack on the village, and then after during the war...it had displaced so many people, shinobi and civilians alike, and then...when the Rabbit goddess had...Sakura swallowed hard.

“Sakura?” Kushina called her name gently.

“I’m sorry. I just got a bit, I was remembering how it used to be years ago, it’s a little different, the market.” Sakura laughed easily, her Anbu training kicking in.

Sakura’s laughter seemed to relax Kushina enough for her to change the subject back to shopping and Sakura was relieved. ‘Pull it together’, she snarled at herself. She hadn’t fallen apart in the other villages she had visited looking for Madara before coming back to Konoha.

‘That’s because it wasn’t home idiot’, a little voice said in her head. True, she conceded to herself then laughed, she was going insane she just knew it.

Kushina laughed with her which startled Sakura.

“...and then it started to rain on us so we had to run to this broken down shack and stay there through the night, that was when he kissed me for the first time.” Kushina told her in a fake whisper while she smiled blissfully.

“That’s sweet.” Sakura said the appropriate words and the redhead blushed.

“He is sweet, he is the kindest most thoughtful man I have ever met. I think I might be falling in love with him.” Kushina squeezed Sakura’s arm and pulled her into a ladies shop.

She didn’t want to admit it but she was having a good time. It brought both tears of sorrow and joy to her eyes at the same time. Kushina was a mix between Naruto and Ino. 

They tried clothes on for hours picking things out for Sakura that they both loved and Sakura bought much more than she had originally planned on. Kushina bought two outfits for the Spring Festival because she couldn’t decide which one she liked more and a summer dress.

“Let me buy you dinner, as a thank you for your help Kushina.” Sakura offered as they passed the restaurant and food stand district of the market.

“Do you like ramen?” Kushina asked Sakura and Sakura couldn’t prevent the laughter from bubbling over her lips.

“Yeah, let’s go to Ichiraku ramen.” Sakura led the way to Naruto’s favorite ramen stand in Konoha.

Halfway through their meal they were interrupted by two large shadows falling over them from behind. Sakura had twitched in her seat but stilled when she recognized the chakra signatures of her old friend’s dad’s, Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara.

“Kushina, you’re back early, I bet Minato was happy to see you. We half expected you two to be here eating together.” Inoichi, as charming as ever, smiled at Kushina who turned in her seat to greet him.

“I’ll be spending time with him later, I took Sakura out to help her find something for the Spring Festival and to show her what had changed since she’d been gone.” Kushina waved her hand at Sakura who smiled automatically.

The ramen turned to rocks in her stomach as she turned to greet the future fathers of some of her closest friends. 

“This is Sakura. Sakura, this is Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara.” Kushina gestured to the men.

“Nice to meet you.” Sakura almost choked on her spit. ‘They look so young’, she thought, but then again, they were only what, a year older than she was now.

The two men nodded to her and took seats beside her and Kushina who were sitting at a table instead of the bar like Sakura was used to.

“You don’t mind if we join you ladies do you?” Inoichi winked at Sakura who blushed embarrassingly red. Ino’s dad had winked at her, she felt sick.

“Aww, you’re blushing!” Kushina was just as subtle as her son would be.

“Am not.” Sakura hissed under her breath but Shikaku had heard her and chuckled.

“Inoichi has that effect on women, don’t worry, you’re not alone.” Shikaku teased her.

“It’s not that, he just...reminded me of someone I used to know is all.” Sakura almost choked again.

“So where are you from Sakura, I haven’t seen you around here before?” Shikaku asked as he reached across her to pull a menu from the stack at the other end of the table, his arm brushing hers in passing.

“I’m from Konoha, I have been on a long term mission for the last three years, I just got back today.” She said while she drank her tea, taking a small break from her ramen to be social.

“Long term huh, recon for the war eh?” Shikaku asked her.

“Something like that.” She mumbled burying her face into her tea cup to avoid any more awkward questions.

“Well, welcome back, I bet it’s nice to be back home safe and sound.” Inoichi smiled kindly at her.

“It is.” Sakura smiled a sincere smile at his widening grin, it really was nice to be back home, even if it wasn’t in her time, in her age with her old friends.

The rest of their meal was pleasant, they exchanged small talk and Sakura was caught up on all the gossip she had ‘missed’ while she had been out of the village. Kushina and Sakura rose when the meal was over, Sakura paid for her and Kushina, and expressed a desire to stop by the grocer on the way back to her apartment.

“I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind the company?” Shikaku offered.

“Great! I’ll see you later Sakura, I’m going to see what Minato is up to, hope to see you later!” and before Sakura could blink she was alone with Shikaku and Inoichi.

“Uh bye?” Sakura laughed.

“I’m sure she just missed Minato, don’t worry Sakura, it’s not you.” Inoichi teased her.

Sakura smiled, he was so different as a peer than as Ino’s father, the change was almost unbelievable compared to the calm, stern if not good humoured man she had known since her childhood.

“I understand, it’s hard being away from the people you care about.” Sakura smiled thinking of all the people she had lost.

Her smile brightened as she realized that many of them were here and alive at this time. 

“Well, you two have fun, I’ll see you later.” Inoichi waved to them as he walked away, “Nice meeting you Sakura!” He called over his shoulder.

Sakura waved and turned to Shikaku, “You don’t have to go with me, I’m sure you have other things you would prefer to be doing than following me around watching me pick out fruit.”

Shikaku shrugged and stuffed his hand in his pockets, “I’m good, I don’t have anything else to do.”

“You could go to the roof of the library and watch the clouds.” Sakura said flippantly thinking of Shikamaru.

Shikaku smiled, “I could, but I already did that today.”

“Well if you have nothing else to do I suppose you could come with me.” Sakura hummed and they started walking down the road toward the grocer stands together.

“Three years is a long time to be gone from the village.” Shikaku commented as Sakura picked up and put back down an apple picking another one up to inspect it.

“It is.” She said not going into the detail she knew he was fishing for. She had been around enough Naras’ in her lifetime.

“The Hokage must trust you a great deal.” He continued to comment.

“He does, but I’m sure he would be glad to tell you himself if you don’t believe me.” She smiled at him but the edge in her voice told him she knew what he was up to and she had had enough of it.

Shikaku laughed good naturedly, “Alright alright, I’m just curious because you’re new and clearly skilled. I’m just surprised I haven’t heard of you or seen you before. Pink hair and all, I would have remembered you.” He smiled a slow smile at her and she dropped two apples into her basket avoiding his eye because he couldn’t possibly be flirting with her.

Shikaku followed her all the way home and leaned against her doorwall as she unlocked her front door.

“Well, thanks for going to the market with me and walking me home.” Sakura said politely, not sure what to do next. She had been getting mixed signals from the man and didn’t wish to embarrass herself if he hadn’t been flirting with her.

“Sure thing, so you’re going to the Spring Festival then right?” Shikaku asked her.

“I don’t know, Kushina and I went shopping for it but I don’t know if I’m going to be up for it. I’m still getting used to being around people again.” She smiled a little backing up into her apartment and setting all of her bags on the little table by the door for that purpose.

“So it was a solo recon mission? I’m surprised, you must be really good, or Anbu.” He hesitated, he wanted to ask her more but he could see she was already starting to shut him out.

“Well, I’ll see you around Sakura, it was nice to meet you.” He cut their conversation short so he didn’t scare her away.

“Yea, it was nice to meet you too.” She smiled and shut the door as his back turned to walk down the steps.

Sakura closed the door and made the hand seals. Leaning back against the door she took a deep breath and let it out of her nose noisily. “So far so good right?” She encouraged herself.

Minato could feel the Nara’s chakra receding as he left Sakura’s apartment and he unclenched his fist that he hadn’t realized he had been clenching.

“...and then we went to Ichiraku ramen! Sakura said she loved the place, that it had always been her favorite.” Kushina had been talking almost nonstop since he had opened his door and let her in.

“Wait what?” He asked, catching the tail end of her sentence.

“I said we had ramen for lunch.” Kushina paused in her speech to look at him.

“You said it had always been her favorite?” Minato asked, taking her hand in his to distract her from his questioning.

Kushina blushed, “Yeah, she said she had always loved their ramen and that Tenuchi was a sweetheart.”

“She knew Tenuchi by name?” Minato asked.

“Of course! Everyone knows Tenuchi.” Kushina smiled at him and patted his cheek affectionately.

Minato smiled a serene smile. Yes, everyone knew Tenuchi, who had been going to the ramen stand for the last two years...since he had opened it. 

Sakura had been gone for the last three years...on a long term mission. Something didn’t add up. How could she know the name of the ramen proprietor, how could it be her favorite ramen stand, if she had been gone on her extended mission before it had even opened?

He tapped his finger against his knee as Kushina rattled on and on. The Hokage and Sakura were hiding something from him and he wanted to know what it was.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura is finding it harder to be back among civilization than she had thought it would be. Shikaku Nara wants to help her with that while Obito is clearly smitten, Rin is curious and Kakashi is well, Kakashi.
> 
> It's hard to step between two worlds, to be the person you are or to revert back to the person you were. Sakura finds herself struggling between the two. She must harden her heart and do what needs to be done, but distraction is a funny thing...an annoying, fun and exciting funny thing.

Loathe as she was to admit it, it had been great seeing other people again. She chuckled to herself as she tucked the last wire trap into the panel of her sliding glass door and sat back on her heels. She would be able to open her sliding glass door just enough for her small figure to slip through and not one millimeter more, anything more would set the trap off.

Minato watched her from his sealed balcony. He knew she couldn’t see him but he could see her. With Kushina around he had been forced to take drastic measures in hiding his presence. He had been annoyed at the efforts, but was pleased he had been forced to take them now that Sakura was here. He had been watching her for the last hour and she hadn’t been alerted to his presence in the slightest.

She knew he lived in the building of course but her reaction to him earlier hadn’t given away any suspicion. He knew however, from their previous interactions, she must be questioning his lack of chakra signature but she hadn’t said anything in front of Kushina. This pleased him, it meant she could, would and did keep secrets from people, but he would expect nothing less from an Anbu, he would use that to his advantage.

Minato continued to watch as she looked out of her sliding glass door. She had cast a protection jutsu over her apartment, he had felt the fluctuation in his own jutsu that he had cast over the building and had gone to his window to investigate.

She had changed for the night into a soft pair of pants and a tank top. His eyes roamed over her pale skin, as smooth looking and as creamy colored as fresh milk. Unconsciously his tongue darted out to wet his lips. He had seen her put a wire trap up by her window and smiled. It wouldn’t stop him but she was clever, it would stop most.

Kushina had left shortly after Sakura had returned home with the Nara in tow. Kushina had yet to spend the night with him and he wasn’t in a hurry to get her into bed, he had started to lose interest in the woman before he had met Sakura and now, he had no interest in her at all. 

He wondered if Sakura was interested in the Nara. Kushina said they had just met at the ramen stand, but Minato knew the Nara wouldn’t put forth the effort to walk a woman home he had just met if he wasn’t interested in her.

Shikaku being interested in Sakura didn’t bother him, but the thought of her being interested in Shikaku, bothered him more than he cared to admit. 

Sakura was one of a kind. Kushina was the only woman who had come even close to what he wanted, what he needed and she fell woefully short compared to the bloody mess that was Sakura. His pulse began to race just thinking of all the things he wanted to do to the woman as he watched her close her eyes and lean her head back onto her shoulders behind the window below him.

Evening had set in and the moon had risen. Sakura opened her eyes and looked at it, cocking her head to the left so she could see it fully in all it’s rounded glory. Suddenly her walls were too close, too confined and choking. Grabbing a tee shirt to throw over her tank top she slid her sliding glass door open just enough for her to slip through and jumped up onto the roof.

After spending nearly a year alone after the end of the war, being here in Konoha around so many moving and breathing people was making her claustrophobic. She had never intended on coming back to Konoha. She knew Madara wouldn’t be here and so the thought simply hadn’t crossed her mind.

That was a lie, she had thought of it many times and had shied away from the thought. She didn’t know if she would be able to face them, the ones she knew, remembered from her time that were gone, but she found a small comfort in seeing Kushina and Minato, Inoichi and Shikaku, if only to remind her, they had been alive and if she succeeded, they all might remain that way.

Her treacherous mind wandered further and she lost herself in thoughts of Obito, Rin and Kakashi. She had saved them from a terrible fate. A fate worse than death. She hoped by saving Obito, she had saved Kakashi, because now Madara would have to find another, Rin wouldn’t be killed by Kakashi, it would be okay she told herself. She had already begun to change things for the good.

That hadn’t been her original intent when she had made the time travel contract though. She had only wanted to prevent the war. The war that would destroy the world, mankind and leave her alone with only the dead to comfort her. ‘How morbid I’ve become’, she laughed at herself. Being back here in this Konoha had shown her how much she had changed, she wasn’t the Sakura this time line would create, she was...darker and infinitely more cynical. War does that to you, war with a malicious goddess who hates mankind that is.

She closed her eyes and brought back that edge. She had felt herself melting today little by little, but she needed that cold, that cynicism to do what needed to be done. She was a killer now, a cold hearted, indifferent killer. She opened her eyes. 

“Stop lying to yourself, it won’t change anything Sakura.” She scolded herself.

“What are you lying to yourself about?” A voice asked her.

Sakura turned her head around and leapt to her feet. She hadn’t even felt him behind her. She narrowed her eyes at him, she hadn’t felt him in the building earlier either.

“I cast a seal over the whole building. I enjoy my privacy.” Minato walked up beside her and looked at the moon.

“As do I.” She said pointedly, still pissed he had snuck up on her and heard her talk to herself.

“I’m sorry to have startled you, I’ll leave. I didn’t mean to intrude. I only wanted to explain my presence to you and why it was undetectable.” Minato smirked in his head but bowed slightly to her and turned to leave.

“No, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude.” Sakura felt bad, he was only being nice and she had bitten his head off.

She really didn’t feel like company, she didn’t want to talk to him, but he was Naruto’s dad and she had given him a hard time earlier. ‘You’re reverting’, a voice in her head warned her but she ignored it to smile at the blonde next to her.

“I was just thinking. Nothing exciting but you’re welcome to join me, if you like.” She said politely and sat back down on the roof.

Minato smiled serenely at her and sat down beside her, throwing his legs over the side of the roof and leaning back on his arms that he had braced against the roof top floor.

“Kushina said she had a wonderful time with you today, I think she really likes you.” Minato started the painful process of small talk and Sakura cringed inside.

“I like her, she is a very sweet person and she makes me laugh. She reminds me of an old friend I used to have, before I came back to Konoha.” Sakura shut her mouth abruptly, she had said too much.

“Before you came back, yes, you have been gone for three years Kushina was telling me.” Minato kept his eyes fixed on the moon but his pulse throbbed in his neck and he watched her out of the corner of his eyes, listened to her breathing, watched for a twitch, a reaction of any kind.

“Yes.” Sakura said, wondering where this conversation was going. It was obvious he wanted to know something. She hated this kind of conversation, even though she did it herself. She was a hypocrite.

“Kushina was pleased to find someone who liked ramen as much as she does. I’m glad too, now you can go with her and I don’t have to. I’m not as fond of ramen as you two ladies.” He continued on his casual vein of speech.

“I’m not as fond of it as she is, but I do enjoy it.” Sakura smiled as she thought of Naruto.

Minato saw her smile and wondered who it was for.

“Oh? She told me Ichiraku ramen was your favorite from before you left on your long term mission.” Minato said playfully while setting the bait.

“It is.” Sakura said.

“I wonder though”, Minato smiled internally, “How you could have such appreciation for a ramen shop that opened a year after you had already left on your mission and I know you just returned today becuase I brought you here, in cuffs.” He turned his head to judge her reaction head on a gleam in his eye.

Sakura laughed internally but turned to Minato and smiled. ‘You think you’ve won don’t you’, her eyes said but her voice was calm, sweet and deceptive.

“On the anniversary of my first year, my friend sent me a care package with a sealed bowl of Ichiraku ramen in it, for my birthday. It nearly black listed me.” Sakura laughed further establishing her lie with emotion.

‘Who do you think I am’, she hissed in her head. ‘I am Sakura Haruno the apprentice to the fifth Hokage, member of Team Kakashi Hatake The Copy Nin of Konoha, Anbu and sole survivor of the 4th and last Shinobi war with the Rabbit goddess. You don’t scare me Lord Fourth.’

Minato looked at the woman next to him, her face was calm and smiling, her body relaxed and unassuming...she gave no indication of deceit...except for her pulse. 

His eyes traveled down the delicate slope of her neck to her shoulders that were barely covered with her oversized shirt and found it again, her pulse...was erratic and practically jumping through her skin.

A slow predatory smile that he simply couldn’t hold back made its way to his lips. He leaned forward into her personal space and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“I know you’re lying Sa ku ra.” His breath was hot over her cheek.

He pulled back and their eyes met, she saw something move, briefly in the depths of blue like the calm before the storm, but as quickly as it had appeared it was gone. She shivered. He grinned.

“Am I?” She said with much more bravado than she was feeling at that moment. It had been a long time since she had spoken with anyone as clever and as observant as Minato, she needed to be careful.

“I’m watching you.” He rose from his seat beside her and she looked up at him.

Her eyes glowed dangerously in the moonlight, a dark dank devilish forest green and he almost bent down and pulled her up by her mouth...but he didn’t, he couldn’t, not yet, it was too soon. He willed down his desires and simply smiled at her.

“Good night Sa ku ra Chan.” He left her on the roof with that thought smirking to himself.

Sakura watched Minato walk away from her, her anger spiking around her. ‘Was he threatening her?’, she hissed internally, no, she was reading too far into it, he was just...being playful, like Naruto but...not like Naruto. Minato was intense, much more intense than Naruto had ever been. He must have taken after Kushina more, that would explain the difference she tried to reason it out in her head and took a deep breath.

“Sakura Chan!” 

Sakura looked up at the sound of someone calling her name and saw Uchiha Obito waving at her as he ran to her from across the street, Rin and Kakashi following him at a slower more leisurely pace.

“Obito kun, you can’t call a woman you just met ‘Chan’!” Rin scolded him.

“Please forgive him Sakura Sama.” Rin bowed low to Sakura who blinked at them, her piece of toast in her hand forgotten.

“Good morning Sakura Sensei.” Kakashi greeted her formerly.

“Sensei?” Sakura looked at Kakashi with suspicion.

“I’m not calling you Sama but you deserve my respect for helping us.” He said, refusing to use the word ‘save’.

“So, you really are Konoha nin.” Kakashi looked her over from head to foot as she raised her eyebrow to him.

“Uh, how did you know it was me?” Sakura asked them, she had been wearing her Anbu mask last time.

“The pink hair.” Kakashi pointed to her head.

“I would never forget you, Sakura Chan!” Obito gazed at her with smitten eyes that made her rather uncomfortable.

“Can I help you with something?” Sakura asked them more or less politely.

“I just wanted to thank you again for healing my ankle and saving us like you did, it was amazing!” Obito said fondly.

“Yes, you’re an amazing healer, might I ask who taught you?” Rin asked her.

“I had a Shisou, before I came back to Konoha, she’s gone now.” Sakura said truthfully.

“Aww, I’m so sorry, did she die in the war?” Rin asked her sympathetically.

“Yes.” Sakura said quietly.

Kakashi cleared his throat. “We didn’t mean to interrupt, let’s go.” He pulled Rin’s arm and started to walk away.

Obito ignored him and sat down opposite Sakura at her table where she had been eating her breakfast in the market.

“I want to stay here and talk to Sakura Chan.” Obito glared at Kakashi who shrugged and nodded apologetically to Sakura, ‘I tried’, clearly written all over his face.

Sakura watched the expression fade from the white haired Jounin’s face, with both of his eyes showing, he was so much more expressive than he had ever been with his headband covering one eye, the Sharingan eye of her time.

“Obito, we have to meet Minato Sensei.” Rin tried to pull him up from his seat but failed miserably.

“Go on ahead, I just want to ask her a few things is all.” Obito was shrugging her off when a shadow fell over them.

“Good morning.” Shikaku Nara sat down beside Sakura and smiled at Team Minato, who nodded a good morning to him.

“Good morning Shikaku San.” Sakura smiled into her tea cup.

The waitress came then and set down a cup of tea for Rin, Obito, Kakashi and Shikaku. Kakashi rolled his eyes and sat down beside Rin when she pulled him onto the bench next to her and Obito who grinned like mad that they were all staying.

“Uh.” Sakura began but was interrupted by another shadow falling over the table.

“What do you three think you’re doing?” Minato gave his team a stern eye.

“Eating breakfast with Sakura Chan.” Obito said quickly, picking up a menu and flipping it open.

“Sakura Chan?” Minato looked from Obito to Sakura who rolled her eyes.

“Good morning Shikaku.” Minato greeted the Nara politely.

“Minato.” Shikaku gave him a lazy smile and picked up his cup of tea.

Rin handed Kakashi a menu who took it with a sigh and opened it. Sakura stifled a laugh at the white haired boy and took another bite of her toast. Minato sat down next to Sakura on her other side and picked up a menu as well.

“What are you doing?” She tensed at his close proximity.

“Having breakfast, my team is here, I might as well.” He opened the menu and ignored anything else she might have said.

With so many people so close Sakura began to fidget. She closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. 

“Are you alright?” Shikaku’s calm and pleasant voice flowed over her ear.

“I’m fine.” She opened her eyes and smiled reassuringly at him.

“Just, it’s a bit close in here is all.” She took a sip of her tea.

“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” Shikaku rose from his seat and laid down enough money to cover the kids tea, Sakura’s meal and his own tea.

Sakura flashed him a stunning smile, “Please.”

“If you’ll excuse us.” Shikaku nodded to the table and led Sakura from the stand with his hand on the small of her back.

“Hey!” Sakura could hear Obito protesting loudly behind them and felt the weight of Minato’s eyes on her back as she walked away with Shikaku.

Shikaku led her out of the market down the park path leading to the training grounds. They didn’t speak until they reached a bench set beside the lake.

“Thank you Shikaku.” Sakura smiled at him.

“You looked a bit cramped. I take it your mission was very...solitary.” He suggested gently.

“Very.” She confirmed his suspicions.

“Is that why you are considering staying home for the Spring festival?” He asked her.

“Yes, I remember how crowded the festival can be, even though it’s been a long time since I have been to one.” She said wistfully.

“There is plenty to enjoy from the festival without stepping foot in the market. The fireworks from the cliffs are beautiful. I usually enjoy them alone but...you are more than welcome to join me this year, if you like?” He offered.

Sakura thought about his offer. It would be nice to feel like she was part of something again without the press and heat of a crowd.

“I would like that, thank you Shikaku.”

Shikaku nodded and they sat in silence looking out over the water.

“I looked at the active shinobi rooster and you aren’t on it. No Sakura is. Do you have a last name?” Shikaku asked her, his eyes still on the water.

“It’s classified.” She said apologetically, technically...it was.

“Ah, but you’re not listed on the Anbu rooster either...Sakura.” Shikaku looked at her then and smiled.

Sakura hesitated, being Anbu had always been classified. Clearly Shikaku had high clearance for his age, she couldn’t remember what clearance he had when she was a kid, she had never paid attention to those kinds of things then. He was young, was he just putting his analytical Nara mind to work or did he actually know something.

“I suppose you’ll just have to ask the Hokage who I am then.” She told him standing up and stretching like a cat.

Shikaku smiled, “I suppose I will.”

“Do the Nara still raise deer?” Sakura knew they did but she was supposed to have been gone for three years, she needed to play the part.

“We do.” He replied.

“Excellent, I was wondering if I might buy some of their cast off antlers. I am going to collect herbs for my soldier pills today and will need the antlers fairly soon, do you have any collected?” She smiled at his surprised expression.

“You know how to make soldier pills?” He asked her, it wasn’t common for the average shinobi to know how to make such things. Usually it was only the medics and there were only three medics of medium calibre now that Tsunade had left the village.

“Yes.” She wondered why he would ask that, most medics knew how to make soldier pills, then she remembered that Shikaku didn’t know she was a medic nin.

“I’m also a medic.” She said helpful, then laughed as his eyebrows hit his temple in surprise.

“Interesting.” He hummed.

“We do have some antlers put aside, it’s Spring so the males are challenging one another for the mating season, many of them tend to break off damaged from the fight. I can get them for you, how many did you need?” He asked.

Sakura tapped his finger against her lip thinking. Shikaku’s eyes watched the movement and he shifted from one foot to the other.

“Two I think, two decent sized ones or three little ones if possible. I can pay you for them, how much would you like? I’m afraid it’s been a while since I have made my soldier pills so I am not familiar with the market price of specialty items like your Nara antlers.” She apologized.

It was Shikaku’s turn to pause and think about what he wanted to say, a small rose tint crept into his cheeks and he looked out over the lake.

“If you let me take you out to dinner, they’re yours.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked back at her a little shy.

“You want to take me out on a date?” Sakura asked him, surprised.

“No. Yes. I mean, if you want to go.” He blushed.

She just stared at him in her surprise and he shifted on his feet nervously.

“Nevermind, I’m sorry.” he said a little defeatedly and turned to walk away.

Sakura stepped forward to stop him, ‘No wait, I was just surprised. Yes. I’ll go out on a date with you.”

“Yeah?” He smiled and turned back toward her.

Sakura nodded and blushed herself, “Yeah, um tonight or…”

“Tonight. I’ll bring the antlers and pick you up at 7?” Shikaku asked her.

Sakura nodded, “7 is great, thanks.”

They stood there smiling at one another, neither of them noticed the piercing blue eyes of Minato as he walked to the training grounds with his Team in tow.


	8. Chapter 8

“The war is over, what are you doing here?” Sakura looks over her shoulder at the small group of nin and sees the scratches on their headbands.

“Oh, Missing Nin, I see. Couldn’t cut it in the war, ran away did you? Or perhaps your war crimes were too great and you were ousted from your village?” Sakura put her hands on her hips and stood tall looking at the group of six nin before her.

“Well well, look what we have here, what a pretty little kunoichi.” The man who appears to be the leader of the rag tag group steps out in front of the others and looks Sakura up and down boldly.

“The war might be over but our blood lust isn’t.” The man looked back at his companions and smiled.

The group broke out into rowdy loud laughs and several sneered openly at Sakura.

‘I have the worst luck’, she sighed to herself preparing for the kill. 

She had come to the outskirts of Konoha forest to gather the herbs she needed for her soldier pills. She had three out of the seven ingredients in her stores from the future but other three needed to be collected. Shikaku provided the fourth, the deer antlers.

It had been such a nice day out when she had walked through the gates of Konoha for her day trip into the forest. After Minato had taken out the front lines, the same day she had saved his team, the war had been declared over. No one could go up against the Yellow Flash of Konoha.

Yet here these idiots were, in a group, thinking she was an easy target. Fools.

“Look, I’m just trying to get some herbs I need, I don’t really want to kill you. Call it a freebie okay, get lost.” She turned back around and crouched down to resume the process of gathering her herbs.

Bursts of laughter and knee slapping could be heard from behind and she rolled her eyes, ‘they never learn’. Sakura stood up and cracked her knuckles out in front of her and stretched her arms above her head. Twisting slightly to the right then the left she shakes one leg and then the other.

“I warned you.” She reminded them and charged forward with chakra infused feet, her fist, elbow and arm going through the first man, then the second, falling to her knees to avoid several kunai, she turned on her knees, her kneecap digging into the dirt and rock.

Looking up she blocked an attempted swipe of a blade with chakra pushed to her forearms. She pushed the man back and up while rising to her feet once again.

“Holy Shit!” One man yells and runs away leaving his comrades to their fate.

“Scum.” Sakura hisses at the cowards back as she pivots right then up, slamming a palm to the chin of another and pulling his own sword from his belt to cut his partner in half...diagonally.

The three remaining missing nin stand before her amazed. She straightens her body to her full stature and shakes her bloodied locks from her face. Her hair had started to come down in their fight and she growled, annoyed.

“Who the hell are you?” One of the men yells as he charged at her, throwing kunai and senbon as he leapt over a boulder kicking off with chakra infused legs.

“It doesn't matter who I am, because I’m going to kill every last one of you, then I’m going to hunt down your friend, because even missing nin should have honor.” She spits blood to the ground from where she had bitten her own lip in disgust.

A smirk, a step backward and the missing nin falls dead at her feet. Sakura turns, that wasn’t her kill, who…

A flash of yellow, the other two bodies drop to the forest floor.

“Minato.” Sakura straightens up from her defensive stance and narrows her eyes.

“Were you...following me?” She accuses him.

“Of course not, but I felt your chakra spike and came to see if you were okay.” He looked around at the mangled corpses.

“I see that you are.” He grinned at her.

Sakura nods her thanks to him even though she clearly hadn’t needed his help.

“So, why were you out here?” She asked him curiously, her hands turning over the missing nin and searching their pockets.

She tucked three vials of poison into her pouch that she had found on the leader of the group and two more different ones from another of the bodies. She didn’t recognize them, she wanted to analyze them when she got back to her apartment.

“There were rumors of bandits terrorizing the outskirts of the forests, but apparently the reports were a little off.” He kicked one of the scratched out headbands that lay beside one of the corpses.

Sakura bent over and pulled two of the kunai from the ground that had been aimed for her, she noticed they are both coated with a light layer of poison, probably one of the poisons in the bottles she took from them. There is blood on the second kunai. She frowns, she hadn’t felt a cut.

Looking down at her chest, her legs and arms, she sees a small rip in her shirt. “Shit.” She grunts.

“What is it?” Minato walks over to her and looks down at the kunai.

“A small scratch, no big deal.” She pushes healing chakra into her hand and heals the scratch.

“Amazing.” Minato hums as he watches the cut heal right before his eyes.

Sakura smiles, “This is nothing, I’ve seen much worse…” She stumbles and falls to her knees.

“Sakura?” Minato kneels down beside her.

“Poison.” Sakura growls, her legs are going numb.

“It was just a scratch, what the hell.” She doubles over pushing chakra to her hands and running them over the area she had just healed.

She can feel it, the poison just under her skin moving...her eyes widen, moving to her heart through her chakra channels. Quickly without hesitation she pulls a kunai from her pouch and closes her eyes tracking the poison with her one hand still infused with healing chakra and aims with the other. 

Her eyes snap open and she stabs herself in the chest right through her breast plate, a small scream escapes her lips.

“What the hell are you doing!” Minato tries to stop her by grabbing her arm but she shoves him off.

“Stop! If I don’t do this I might die!” She closes her eyes and uses her chakra to pull the tainted blood from her body and her chakra channels.

Minato watches the dense look of concentration on her face.

Sakura grunts, the tainted blood splashes to the ground and is quickly absorbed into the forest floor. She falls back, her one hand passing over her self inflicted wound healing it over just enough to close the wound.

“Ahhh, damn it.” Sakura hissed as she tried to stand up, she stumbled but Minato caught her before she could fall.

“I got you.” He held her back up against his chest, his hands on her shoulders steadying her.

“I’m fine” she tried to push off of him, away from him. She didn’t want to look weak in front of Naruto’s dad.

He let go of her, she stumbled and fell...he stooped and caught her before she hit the ground. Picking her up in his arms he looked around.

“I’ll find us somewhere for you to rest.” He ran for the nearest cave at the Valley of the End behind the waterfall.

Sakura tried to keep her eyes open as he ran but her energy and her chakra had left her. She knew she had gotten most of the poisoned blood out of her body but there must have been some that she hadn’t gotten.

“My pouch, the red vial in the black silk bag, get it for me please.” She asked Minato once they had reached the cave and he had laid her down on the floor pulling his flak jacket off and putting it beneath her head.

Minato found the vial she had requested and handed it to her. She reached up to take it but her fingers wouldn’t close around it.

“Please Minato, please …” Her voice trailed off.

He uncorked the vial and poured it into her mouth, she swallowed and opened her eyes to half slits, “Thank you.” her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Minato sat beside her looking down at her bloodied, sweaty face. Her lips were slightly parted, puffy from where she had bitten her bottom lip in pain, he had never seen anything more beautiful.

He got up quickly and sealed the cave with both protection and silencing jutsus. Looking down at the vial he still held in his hand he turned it over and saw a small gold scorpion laid into the glass and wondered if she had made the antidote herself and if so, why a scorpion, for it had to be an antidote, why else would she ask him to give it to her…

He stood over her sleeping form and watched the rise and fall of her chest, a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. It made her look vulnerable in that moment, irresistibly vulnerable and he realized they were alone, in a sealed cave, a decent distance from the village.

Minato considered his options standing over the sleeping woman. Crouching down beside her he decided he would start by making her more comfortable, innocent enough he tried to convince himself.

He unzipped her flak jacket and pulled one arm out then the other folded it and set it aside. He brushed the bloodied strands of hair from her face and pulled the hair tie from what remained of her ponytail spreading the silken strands around her head and shoulders. Her boots were next and her pouches. His fingers hovered over her pants ties but he moved on to her belt slipping her medic pack from her waist and setting it neatly by her other things.

Sakura let out a small breathy moan of pain and his hands stilled over her chest where he loosened the ties of her foraging bag and slipped it from her shoulders.

Sitting back on his heels he swallowed hard, this was a risk. He had to control himself. His head snapped back to her as she started to breath heavily.

“Sakura?” He cupped her face in his hands. “Sakura?”

She didn’t move but her breathing relaxed.

He leaned up against the wall of the cave and looked around, he had been here many times before but never with anyone. It was a bit chilly in the rock with the water rushing by the entrance moving the air. 

It’s okay, he was just keeping her warm he told himself as he pulled her closer to him, her back up against his chest, his arms around her waist hugging her to his body as they sat propped up against the wall together. Her head falling back to rest against his shoulder, the side of her neck exposed as she turned her head to the side.

“Sakura?” He called to her again.

“Mm.” A small noise, then silence.

He looked down, he could see her pulse beating strong in the side of her neck. He swallowed again, wondering how she would taste. He could just duck his head down and lick her a few times to see…he leaned his head back and groaned, he couldn’t. Yes he could. He shouldn’t.

Her soft plea came back to his cursed mind, ‘Please Minato,please…’ she had begged him to get the antidote from her pack for her.

He loved it when they begged. He imagined her saying it with her eyes open, looking up at him, spread out naked on his bed begging him to…

“Stop.” He told himself out loud. “Control yourself.”

He took a deep breath, that was a bad idea, her body moved against his, the smell of her skin rose around his nose from the friction of their bodies being so close together. He could feel himself getting hard.

“Sakura.” He spoke her name softly.

No response.

“Sakura.” He called her name a bit louder, nothing.

Very slowly he bent his head and ran his lips over her exposed neck. Her skin was so soft. He shivered and pulled her body up closer to his mouth. “Just a little.” He told himself, “Just a little then I’ll stop.”

One hand slid from around her waist, his fingers twitched as they slid up the front of her shirt and cupped one of her breasts. Minato flicked his tongue out against the sensitive skin of her neck and she moaned. His hands and mouth stopped moving. He sucked in a quick breath and rolled her nipple between two fingers and kissed the back of her ear on one side, his cock impossibly hard.

He could feel her temperature rising under his hands as he continued to suck on her neck careful not to leave any marks. His hands slid down over her abdomen to the ties of her pants, he stopped.

‘Can’t’, he reminded himself and let his hands fall away from her, slowly moving them to rest on his own knees. He took another deep breath and tilted his head back and away from her neck to rest against the cool rock of the cave wall. He had to stop now or he might not be able too.

Slowly, he moved her to the ground and placed his flak jacket under her head once more and her jacket over her chest and shoulders to keep her warm. 

Moving quietly to the back of the cave he stood facing the wall and unclasped his pants pulling his hardened cock and fisting it hard and fast. He bit his lip recalling the noises she had made, the sound of her begging voice and he came with a sudden ferocity that startled even him. He tucked himself back in his pants, and did up his belt looking over at the woman laying on the ground. 

He couldn’t wait for the day he could touch her, kiss her and fuck her while she looked up at him with those big green eyes of hers, her body pushing and pulling against his while he held her down, owned her, dominated her.

Minato sat down beside Sakura and gently ran his fingers over her lips, his cock twitched in his pants, he was getting hard again already. He resisted the urge to slip his finger in her mouth and touch himself again. 

Getting up, he moved to the other side of the cave and waited for her to wake up, keeping a careful eye on her in case she needed him or took a turn for the worse. He didn’t trust himself to be so close to her anymore.

Sakura woke up to the sound of water, rushing water and the smell of it in her nose. She blinked her eyes open, where...she jumped to her feet and staggered, leaned against a wall of a cave? She opened her eyes and saw Minato sitting across the cave from her watching her closely.

“Minato?” She asked, her voice cracking, her throat hurt.

“Are you feeling better now?’ He asked, walking over to her a worried expression on his face.

“The missing nin, then.” She was trying to piece the events together in her mind, she had had some really strange dreams.

“One of them poisoned you and I gave you the antidote from your pouch.” He handed her the vial with the scorpion inlay in the glass.

“Ah, I remember now.” She put her hand to her head and tried to summon enough chakra to relieve the pressure but couldn’t.

“Damn it.” She slid down the sharp pokey side of the cave and sat on the floor hard.

“Rest, you slept for a couple of hours but I think you should maybe sleep a few more.” Minato crouched down beside her.

“Did you make that antidote?” He asked her.

“Yes.”

“So you knew what kind of poison it was?” He asked her curiously.

“I had an idea, I knew it was a hallucinogen because I started hearing and seeing the oddest things and it had a chakra drain on it, that’s why I couldn’t pull the rest of it from my body after I cut the main part, that contained his chakra in it from getting to my heart.” She told him.

“The poison had his chakra in it?” Minato had never heard of such a thing and wondered how she was familiar with it.

“Yes, his chakra will move the main body of the poison to a predesignated spot or organ in their victim. They must have been Suna missing nin. I didn’t see all of their headbands clearly, they were scratched almost all out but, that is a Suna poisoning trick.” She explained.

“How do you know….how do you know that? Have you, have you been poisoned by a Suna nin before?” He asked her, surprised.

Most shinobi that were poisoned by Sand nin, didn’t survive. They were known for their poison prowess. Lady Chiyo of the Sand was famous for both her Puppetry and her poisons. Rumor had it her grandson was just as talented as she was and had earned the name Sasori of the Red Sand for himself in the last war and he was only 13 years old.

“I need to get back to the bodies, I want to bring them with us. I need to check them, now that I think they are Sand nin, I want to check them for any poisons I may have missed.” She pulled a small pouch from her pocket and took out two small round balls and chewed them one at a time and swallowed hard.

“Ugh, disgusting.” She made a face that made Minato laugh.

“What are those, are those soldier pills, they were huge.” He commented.

“My own design for myself to regain chakra quickly.” I’ll be ready to go in ten minutes.

She closed her eyes. She could already feel the tension in her head dissipating and her chakra returning to her channels.


	9. Chapter 9

“Suna missing nin?” The Lord Third said with mildly concealed surprise.

Sakura’s fingers twitched against her thigh where they were resting. “One got away.” She added.

She had had every intention of following the coward and was still pissed off that she hadn’t been able to do so.

“You had an antidote for the poison already made...on your person?” Sarutobi asked her.

“Yes.” She watched his lips twitch and she narrowed her eyes.

It was pointless to go into detail, it hadn’t been an antidote to that specific poison, but she knew Minato was listening intently and she didn’t want to reveal too much of her past or her...predicament.

“Hum.” 

“Spill it old man.” She said exasperated, they had already been there for over two hours giving their report and she wanted to get home and into the shower.

“Ah, well I saw something about that before your war and I must say my dear you continue to impress me.” The Lord Third broke out into a mischievous grin.

“Her war?” Minato asked and Sakura wanted to slap the Lord Third.

“Our war.” Sakura said pointedly and continued on, “We brought back the bodies of the remaining dead, I would like to participate, if not control their autopsy. You’ve seen my background.” She raised a pink eye brow at him and flickered her eye to his crystal ball.

“Yes of course, I will grant you access to the hospital and anything you need tonight.” The Hokage smiled. His nod indicating ‘yes’, he had seen her being trained by Tsunade and had seen her fight Sasori who had yet to defect from Suna. They would need to talk Sakura knew, but with Minato here, it was not the time.

“Not tonight, if you don’t mind, perhaps tomorrow night?” She asked.

“As you wish. I would have thought you would want your answers right away given you...personality.” The old man was teasing her...Sakura rolled her eyes. 

She didn’t remember him being so...playful but she had been twelve and infatuated with Sasuke when he had been killed by Orochimaru soooo….

“I have an, uh...a date.” She blushed and Minato narrowed his eyes at her.

“Well you two have fun. The scrolls will be waiting for you in examination room three when you’re ready.” The Lord Third smiled at her and Minato.

“Huh? My date isn’t with Minato!” Sakura said horrified at the thought of dating Naruto’s father, the Fourth Hokage, The Legend. She wasn’t weak anymore but he was too far out of her league.

Minato gave her an odd look that she didn’t understand. She smiled at him, a faint crease in her brow.

“Oh? Sorry dear, I just thought...well, nevermind. Uh enjoy your date then with…”

“It doesn’t matter.” Sakura puffed her cheeks out and set the storage scrolls containing the missing nin on the Hokage’s desk.

“Very well, I will have a mission for you in the next day or two before the Spring Festival, I’ll send the mission scroll via Anbu for you Sakura. Dismissed.” The Hokage picked up the three scrolls she had set on his desk as her and Minato walked out of his office.

“So, a date?” Minato smiled at Sakura as they walked down the winding stairs of the Hokage’s Tower to the street.

“Yeah.” She said absentmindedly as she checked her bag to make sure she still had all of her herbs with her.

“Anyone I know?” He asked with forced casualness.

“Probably.” She winked at him and leapt onto a nearby roof. “Gotta go Minato, see you later! Thanks for your help!”

“Yeah.” He waved at her and frowned as he watched her run back to their apartment building at full speed. “See you later.”

Sakura flew through the hand signs releasing her seals on her apartment as she burst through her door and immediately started stripping off her bloodied clothes and turned the taps on in her shower. She only had thirty minutes before Shikaku would be there to pick her up for their date.

Shampooing, conditioning and soaping her body as quickly as possible she stood under the spray of the shower letting gravity rinse her hair while she used a nail brush to clean the blood and tissue from her hands. Shaking her head like a dog she turned off the taps and stepped out of the shower drying off with a towel as she walked to her standing closet and pulled out a black tee shirt and dark grey mini skirt that Kushina had helped her pick out.

She ran to the bathroom to blow dry her hair, tying it back with a thick charcoal ribbon that matched her skirt letting it hang down her back and over her shoulders. A light tint to her lips to make them shine and some clear mascara and she was ready.

She had just slid a few kunai into her knee high toeless boots when there was a knock on her door.

Sakura felt her mouth go dry and suddenly she wasn’t sure about this date of hers. Walking to the door she opened it to find Kushina beaming at her.

“Uh Kushina! Hi, I thought you were uh...someone else.” Sakura ended lamely.

“I hear you have a date!” The red head squealed, MInato walking up behind her.

“Uh yeah.” Sakura blushed.

“Well you look great!” Kushina reached forward and straightened her ribbon around her head and patted at her skirt grinning.

“Thanks.” Sakura said a bit nervously, playing with the end of her ribbon.

“You okay? Nothing to be nervous about.” Kushina smiled kindly.

“I’ve never had a date before.” Sakura blurted out.

“What?” Minato said without meaning to.

Sakura blushed a deep red in embarrassment.

“Never?” Kushina’s mouth dropped open as she stared at her new friend.

“Never, uh, I never had time to date before.” Sakura twisted her fingers together, she was a little nervous and now embarrassed.

“Ohhhh! You’re so cute! Isn’t she just so cute Minato?” Kushina was gushing and her voice was high pitched and it hurt Sakura’s ears and apparently Minato’s as well because he flinched.

“Yeah, she’s cute.” Minato’s eyes slipped down her body then back up again. 

His thoughts betrayed him, eyes falling on the end of the long ribbon as it poked out over her shoulder beneath her hair by her neck, it was long and thick...durable looking. He imagined pulling it from her hair and using it to tie her hands behind her back as he forced her to her knees. Minato cleared his throat...focus.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but paused and looked over their heads.

Kushina turned to look behind them but Minato’s gaze remained on Sakura, he already knew who her date was, he had felt his chakra signature moving steadily closer as they had stood there talking.

“Shikaku, good evening.” Kushina smiled at the Nara.

“Hello Kushina, Minato, Sakura, you look beautiful.” Shikaku only had eyes for Sakura and didn’t hear Kushina’s purr of sentimentality or see Minato’s less than guarded eyes boring into him as he turned to greet him.

“Shikaku.” Sakura greeted the Nara, turned and sealed her door, stepping around Minato to take Shikaku’s offered hand.

“Uh, see you guys later.” Sakura mumbled to Kushina.

“Have fun on your first date!” Kushina almost squealed much to Sakura’s horror.

“First date? Oh, with me.” Shikaku smiled at Sakura.

“Ever.” Sakura mumbled.

“Huh?”

“You’re my first date ever.” Sakura said, cheeks red.

“Oh, well, no pressure or anything then.” Shikaku laughed a good humoured masculine laugh that put Sakura at ease.

“I bet they hit it off don’t you Minato? Sakura seems really intelectual and Shikaku is a genius, I bet they get married!” Kushina was almost bouncing on her toes next to Minato.

“He’s too laid back for her, she needs someone more, intense to stimulate her. Someone stronger than the Nara.” Minato said as he watched the Nara walk away holding Sakura’s hand.

“Intense?” Kushina asked.

“She was attacked today in the woods near the border while she was foraging for herbs. Her fighting style, its...intense and efficient. She is more than what she seems. He won’t be enough to keep her attention for long.” Minato spoke to Kushina but also to remind himself it was true.

Kushina watched Minato’s face. He was so focused, it made her uneasy.

“Well, are you hungry, do you want to get something to eat?” She tried to distract him.

Minato looked down at Kushina, her eyes were wide and searching. 

“Sure.” He took her hand and walked with her down the same street Sakura and the Nara had disappeared down, it was the only street to the market from their apartment building.

“Where would you like to eat?” Shikaku asked as they entered the market district taking their time to walk along the outskirts where the foot traffic was less.

Sakura was pleased he was making such an effort to appease her claustrophobic tendencies, it was very thoughtful of him. She wasn’t used to men going out of their way to make her happy and she thought she rather liked it.

“I like most things. I don’t like ramen nearly as much as Kushina though, so if we don’t go to Ichiraku’s I won’t be disappointed.” She joked easily with him.

“I don’t think anyone likes ramen as much as Kushina.” Shikaku laughed while enjoying her company.

“How about nikuman and ikayaki?” Shikaku suggested.

“Sounds great.” Sakura said enthusiastically.

She had never been much of a cook and her food had been more essential than recreational the past year. All the food smells of the market were just as overwhelming to her as they had been her first few days back in civilization and her mouth watered. She didn’t think she could get enough after being deprived of simple food stand food for so long.

Shikaku carried their food to the park and Sakura picked a picnic table by the lake where he had asked her out that morning. The wound in her chest was healed over but it still pained her a bit. While her soldier pills were very useful she wouldn’t risk taking more than two of them a day and she had already depleted most of the chakra she had regained to heal it enough for her date.

The small pained look on her face as she sat down wasn’t lost on Shikaku who asked her if she was alright. She explained what had happened in the woods before their date.

“Minato was patrolling the border?” Shikaku asked her when she had finished telling him about the missing nin and the role Minato had played in her mini annoyance.

“He said that there had been reports from the scouts that bandits were terrorizing the borders.” She nodded and opened their boxes of food, passing him a paper plate and chopsticks.

“Hum.” Shikaku made a noise of both thanks and to let her know he had been listening.

“I wonder where he heard that, I haven’t heard of any such reports.” Shikaku murmured as if to himself but smiled when he saw Sakura’s eyes light up at the steamed pork buns.

“This looks so good.” Sakura smiled at him.

“I’m glad, thanks for having dinner with me, Sakura. So, tell me about these poisons you found on the missing nin today.” He broke his chopsticks apart and took a bit of the squid as she explained that she hadn’t had a chance to analyze the poisons yet but she would first thing tomorrow after or during her autopsy of the missing nin her and Minato had brought back with them.

Shikaku listened as she told him about different kinds of poisons and antidotes, how she knew the antidote she had on her would help, how she had traced the poison in her chakra channels. He was very impressed and even more so when she told him the Hokage had granted her access to the hospital.

“Most long term shinobi returning to the village have to be re-evaluated for return integration to ensure they haven’t been compromised out in the field, after being gone so long. The Lord Third trusts you quite a bit it seems.” Shikaku scratched his chin.

“I’m impressed, Sakura. Poisons and antidotes, a medic nin and you took out most of the missing nin before Minato had gotten there. Dangerous troublesome Kunoichi.” He winked at her.

Sakura laughed out loud, she was having a delightful time. It was nice to eat and have a conversation with someone, to relax. She had almost forgotten what that was like, to have a village, a home. Sakura bit her lip,she wasn’t here to have fun.

Shikaku could feel her mood change and wondered what she had been through to make her this way. ‘A solitary long term mission’, it was clear she was something more than an Anbu, he hadn’t found a record of her anywhere, it was like she didn’t exist. No one knew about her, none of the academy teachers he had spoken to had ever heard of her before, no one. 

He wanted to know more about her, she fascinated him.

Sakura felt Shikaku’s warm hand over hers and looked up to meet his smiling eyes. He was a nice guy, low key, calm...effortless. She hadn’t even thought of the possibility of dating when she came back, but maybe he was just what she needed right now.

“Sorry, I kinda got lost in my head there for a minute.” She gave him an apologetic smile.

“I understand, I get lost in my head all the time. Inoichi says it’s because there is so much unused space in there.” They both laughed, which is of course, what he had intended.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” He asked once they were done eating.

“That would be nice.” They threw their trash away in a nearby can and he took her hand and they walked around the lake pausing now and then to comment on a night cloud and what they thought it looked like.

It was simple, and Sakura felt the strain of the last few months fade from her bones.

“Thank you Shikaku, for a wonderful evening. I had a really good time. You’re easy to talk to.” Sakura let go of his hand to unlock her door.

“I like talking to you.” Shikaku grinned a sort of nervous half grin at her.

“So, I’d like to see you again, maybe before the festival?” He asked her.

“The Hokage said he would be sending me a mission scroll before the festival so I might not be able to, the festival is only a few days away but I would still like to watch the fireworks with you on the cliffs.” A lock of hair was lifted up by the breeze and fell over her face.

Before she could push it back Shikaku’s hand came up and the back of his fingers skimmed her cheek, pushing the hair back, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly while tucking the hair behind her ear. His fingers followed her hair over her shoulder and down her back where he let his hand rest at her waist pulling her closer to him, slowly giving her time to stop him or step away from his embrace.

Her eyes closed as butterflies erupted in her stomach, her body felt tingly as her blood surged through her veins. She had never been kissed before. Giving Naruto mouth to mouth to save his life didn’t count she thought wildly as Shikaku drew her closer to him by the waist.

As quickly as it had started, it stopped and Sakura opened her eyes to see Shikaku looking at her, a soft smile, a slight up turn to his lips.

“If I don’t see you before your mission, good luck, come home safe. I look forward to watching the fireworks with you at the festival.” His hand dropped from her waist and he stuck both of his hands in his pockets and grinned at her.

“Thanks Shikaku, for tonight. I had a really nice time with you.” She blushed.

“So did I, Goodnight Sakura.” He turned to walk down the steps and home.

“Night.” She said softly and closed her door behind her.

Once inside she leaned her back against her door and bit her lip. ‘My first kiss’, she touched her lips and giggled like the teenager she was and skipped to her sliding glass door. 

She leaned against the rail of her balcony and looked up at the moon. “Okay.” She conceded to the Rabbit, “Maybe it’s not so bad being here after all.” She closed her eyes and smiled, her face turned up to the night’s sky while stars danced behind her eyelids as she replayed her first kiss in her head.

Minato’s fists clenched at his sides as he watched the dreamy look on Sakura’s face. A dark possessive desire flooded his senses. ‘That look on her face, that smile’, he thought darkly. I want that, I want it to be for me, because of me.’ 

Sakura sighed and giggled again, stepping through her sliding glass door, clicking it shut and checking her traps behind her.

Minato stood on his balcony and watched but she didn’t return, he saw her shadow moving around the floor of her studio. Her interest in the Nara both surprised and angered him. Didn’t she know she could do better...Minato looked at the moon, he would show her, he would show her she didn’t have to settle, that she deserved so much more, that she deserved someone like him.


	10. Chapter 10

She found what she hadn’t realized she had been looking for in the third body of the missing nin, the missing Sand nin, she knew now after analyzing their chakra. A seal. Walking to the other two nin on the examination tables she made the small incision and opened their chests up wider on the right hand side, they too had seals over their hearts. Seals that had been set in place and activated with a very familiar chakra.

“Sasori.” The name was a curse on her lips.

She felt her chakra spark and crack in her chest. She stumbled and fell back against the examination table behind her, breathing rapidly. 

“What the hell was that?” Her hand went to her chest, it hurt.

Slowly she calmed herself and pushed chakra to her fingers to sooth the pain in her chest...but none came to her fingers. Sakura frowned at her hand. Why wasn’t her chakra working?

Pushing herself off of the table behind her she walked to the counter where she had a glass of water and took a few sips willing her heart to settle into a more normal rhythmic beating. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her mouth and out through her nose. When she felt she was calmed again and ready, she pushed her chakra to her hands, they glowed green. Placing her right hand over her chest she eased the pain that had been there and looked back down at her hands. 

The glow was normal, the pulse the same but, it was different somehow and she wasn’t sure how or why. It just felt off, like it wasn’t all of her own chakra.

Her head started to hurt, she needed some fresh air.

Sitting on the roof of the hospital watching the clean sheets drying in the wind she started to feel a lot better. Spring was here and the air was light and refreshing. The sun shone on her upturned face relaxing her muscles that she had cramped by bending over the examination tables for hours on end. It was nearly noon she had been at it for the last five hours without a break.

Sakura kept her eyes closed as her thoughts raced back to the seals he had found on all three of the missing Sand nin and she couldn’t help but wonder, if they had been missing by choice or if they had been controlled by Sasori’s puppet jutsu.

Not a lot was known now, or would be known about the elusive Puppet master. After she had defeated him with the help of Lady Chiyo the Sand had taken almost everything they could find connected to him and had locked it away in Suna, which was understandable. She had limited access to their findings as the Hokage’s apprentice and Naruto’s best friend but even that hadn’t been enough to sate her curiosity.

His core in particular was a medical marvel, she had always wished she could have gotten to take a closer look at it but Kankuro had guarded it like a dog with a bone, and she couldn’t blame him. The one time she had gotten a chance to look at it though...had been enlightening. Kankuro didn’t have the medical background she had, he had no idea what he had in his possession. He knew how important it was, but the man had no idea how very dangerous it was.

If she could have stolen it and gotten away with it...she would have.

The seal had been placed in their chests, it was similar but not the same as the ones she had seen on his puppets. She knew that Sasori was still in Suna as an active shinobi and wondered when he had placed his seal into these men, if they even knew they had the seals in them or if anyone else knew. She thought back to her battle with the man. She had never been more terrified or more proud when she had defeated him.

She had been a two year Anbu veteran at that point in her life, but the man had still brought out a desperate fear in her that no one else had or could since, not even during the fourth shinobi war, and that was terrifying in itself. 

“One of them got away.” She almost choked on her own spit as she said the words out loud.

‘He’ll know.’ Her heart began to beat hard in her chest.

“That’s not what I’m here for.” She said to herself, loudly, forcefully.

The possibility of running into Sasori again, now when she was stronger and more experienced, both terrified her and thrilled her at the same time.

‘He’s only thirteen now. He hasn’t left the Sand yet. Had he made Hiroko yet?’, the thoughts flooded her head one after the other.

“No, I’m not here for that!” She scolded herself.

“Do you always talk to yourself?” Minato’s annoyingly calm voice broke her from her thoughts.

She stood up quickly to face him, her hands clenched at her sides. Slowly she released them, she wasn’t mad at him, she was mad at herself for even entertaining such selfish thoughts. Seeing the seals again, feeling his chakra so close at hand again after all this time, was wearing on her.

“No.” She looked at him then looked away.

‘She looks absolutely feral’, his eyes flashed from her eyes to her face to the tense way she held her arms at her sides, to her hands that flexed almost subconsciously as she looked at him.

“The Hokage wants to see us.” He told her, his eyes watching her eyes. They looked through him and he realized she wasn’t seeing him but someone else and wondered who it was. Her breathing was short but controlled, her face pained and strained, and her eyes...her eyes were a fierce penetrating green. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Then, like a switch, she shook her head and she was back. Her eyes focused on him and she gave him a small slightly embarrassed smile. “I’m coming.”

Minato nodded and jumped to the next roof, she followed.

“Lord Third.” Minato and Sakura bowed low, then looked up to see the Third Hokage looking them over with a hard look in his eye.

“I’m changing the mission I was going to send you on Sakura. Minato will be going with you. Sakura will be the team captain Minato, I know this is a change for you but she has information that will be useful and the foresight to ensure that the mission is successful.” Sarutobi said seriously.

Minato turned his head to look at Sakura curiously, then back to the Lord Third. “I understand.”

“Sakura, our ‘Mutual friend’, was spotted by the border between Wind and Fire at the south western most point. We do not know what his intentions are or what he was doing there but the report came in moments ago and I think it well worth looking into. The report claims it was a ‘look a like’, but you and I know it probably wasn’t.” The Lord Third rubbed his face with his hand.

“I have consulted my third eye jutsu and am increasingly disturbed by what I see...Sakura, does it end, is what I saw...our end?” The tears didn’t fall but she saw the moisture in his eyes and had to look away from his kind and familiar face.

“Yes Hokage Sama, but fortunately, you did not live to see it come to pass, no one did...only me.” Sakura said her eyes trained on the window in his office to the left of Minato.

She knew he was there, she didn’t care.

The Lord Third nodded his head, he had never looked so old she thought as she brought her eyes back to his.

“That’s why I’m here though, isn’t it.” She tried to smile at him.

“You’re no longer alone, here there are those who can help you, help us, help everyone Sakura. I respected your choice to handle this before, because I didn’t know the extent of the...outcome. Now, I feel you should…”

Sakura cut the Lord Third off, “Forgive me Hokage Sama, but it is not your choice, it is mine and I do not want nor do I need anyone’s help to complete this mission.” She said forcefully.

“This may sound ungrateful and insubordinate but you forget, I am not merely a kunoichi from the Leaf, I AM the Leaf in the future, I am all that’s left of what was. This mission is mine, and mine alone. The ones that are here now, are not the ones that were there in my time. My time is dead and gone, this is my last reprieve, my last chance. I will not trust it to anyone else.” She said firmly remembering who she was and where she had come from. 

It had been too easy to forget these last few days. ‘Playing Konoha’, she called it in her head. She needed to focus. There was too much at stake.

“Sakura.” The Hokage said gently, he wasn’t upset at her outburst or her disrespect, he had seen the horror, heard the screams, seen the blood flow like water, the mass graves, the destruction. A single tear fell over his aging face. “Let us help you.”

Four words, and she broke. She made the hand signs and her body flickered from the office, a single tear dropped to the floor where she had stood moments ago. Minato watched it fall to the ground and then looked back up to the Hokage.

“Tell me and I will help her.” The blonde said, voice strong, conviction unwavering.

Sakura collapsed on the floor of her studio apartment, the Hokage didn’t understand. He saw what had happened through a pane of glass, he hadn’t been there, he didn’t smell the rot of the bodies, he hadn’t felt the squelching of the mud mixed with the blood of her friends as she knelt down to pick them up off the ground to add their corpse to the pile of the many to be burned that day to prevent the spread of disease!

Her chakra flickered in and out of her hands at the memory of the wounded, the broken and the dead. She rolled over onto her back and lay there staring up at her ceiling. She wasn’t sure how long she had laid there before she heard him knock but made no move to answer the door. Her eyes closed at the thought of having to talk to him or anyone else for that matter about, everything.

His chakra flared purposefully as he flashed into her apartment letting her know it was him. His formula was on the floor in the middle of her studio. He hadn't told her because it hadn’t been necessary for her to know, she would know now though. He looked down at her as he stood over her laid out form.

“How the hell, never mind, you used your jutsu. I didn’t know you had a formula in here.” She said looking up at him.

“It was from before, a past occupant, the formula never fades, no matter what, through time or space.” He sat down on the floor beside her.

“He told you.” She said, her voice much more calm than she had expected it to be.

“Yes.” Minato said, he could barely believe it himself but now that he knew, it made sense.

Everything that had stumped him before, everything she had told him or that he had found out about her, now it made sense and if possible, he was even more infatuated with her than he had been before he had found out she was from the future.

“I’m sorry for giving you a hard time when we met.” He said.

“For putting me in chakra cuffs and parading me through the village you mean?” She turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowed to little green slits.

“Yes and for that.” He looked down at her where she lay on the floor beside him, without his usual smile.

“So that’s why you never had a date? The war?” He asked her curiously.

“That’s what you ask me? You find out I’m from the future and you ask me why I’d never had a date before Shikaku?” She laughed at him.

“You’re just like your knuckleheaded son.” She continued to laugh.

“My...son?” Minato asked, looking at her, eyes wide.

“Yeah, your son, my best friend.” She bit her lip.

“He was more like a brother to me.” She confessed.

Minato couldn’t speak for a moment, “Who…….who did I marry?” He was almost afraid to ask.

Sakura looked up at him, “Kushina of course.”

“Kushina!” Minato gasped.

“That can’t be right.” He insisted, but the more he thought about it, it made more sense. 

Sakura was his son’s best friend, if Sakura wasn’t here, he probably would have settled for Kushina, but...she was here now and he didn’t want to settle.

“Of course it is, you love her, it was like a fairy tale!” Sakura insisted.

“How you saved her from those Kumo nin who tried to capture her because she was the nine tails jinchuriki.” Sakura kept insisting.

“You know about, well, of course you know.” He trailed off in thought.

“Your son, he’s the nine tails in my time.” Sakura told him.

“He is?” Minato was a little shocked.

“You had to, to save the village.” She said sitting up and finger combing her hair back from her face.

“I sealed the nine tails into him?” He said incredulously.

“Who else would have done it?” She gave him an odd look.

‘Who else indeed’, he thought to himself, but then if she was his son’s best friend did that mean...

“You, what about you, who were you in your time?” Minato asked her.

Sakura smiled. She pushed herself up from the ground and unsealed the floor board she had hidden her things in when she had gotten there. She pulled out her storage scrolls and unsealed her few remaining personal effects. She walked back over to where he waited for her and handed him a book.

“A bingo book?” He opened it.

She sat beside him and turned a few more pages for him to her entry, “That’s me.” She said unnecessarily because he had already seen her picture.

“Your hair, it’s so short.” Was the first thing he said.

“You’re the fifth Hokage’s apprentice, and were an Anbu captain at the age of fourteen?” He saw her differently now. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was stunning.

“Friend and former teammate of the nine tails jinchuriki Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha who was declared a missing nin of Konoha at age twelve.” He read.

“You killed Sasori of the Red Sand at age 15?!” He looked at her again.

“Yes. He is thirteen now but then, when we fought he was...much older and far more experienced than he is now, it was terrifying, it still is.” She shrugged.

“You’re amazing. It says you’re the best healer in the known world, you already surpassed your mentor Tsunade Senju the fifth Hokage!” 

She shouldn’t have given him the book, she knew that now but it was too late.

“It sounds more impressive when you read it out loud than it is.” She shrugged again dismissing his look of awe and admiration.

“What do you mean? You’re incredible.” He said.

“I’m not.” she said.

“You don’t understand.” She told him.

“Lady Chiyo helped me defeat Sasori, I couldn’t have done it without her. My team, Kakashi Sensei, he was always there to bail me out and Naruto, he never gave up. I was the weakest one on our team for a long time.” She said.

“Kakashi, Kakashi was your sensei?” Minato asked her.

Sakura smiled, “Yeah, only he had one of Obito’s sharingan.”

Minato opened his mouth to ask her about that but there was a knock on her door.

Sakura rose and opened the door to reveal Shikaku.

“Hi Shikaku, would you like to come in?” She moved aside with a smile for him to enter her small studio.

“Hi Sakura.” He smiled at her and stepped inside noticing Minato sitting on the floor with a book in his hands.

“I’m sorry Sakura, I didn’t know you had company.” Shikaku apologized, nodding to Minato who had set the book down and walked over to them.

“It’s no problem Shikaku. I’m glad you came by. Minato and I were just getting ready for our mission.” She smiled at him, he was a nice distraction.

“Ah, when do you leave? Do you have time for lunch maybe?” He smiled a lazy sexy smile at her that made her smile back at him.

Sakura turned to Minato, she had left the office before reading their mission scroll.

“I’m sorry Shikaku but we need to leave as soon as we’re packed, perhaps when we get back, it should only be two days, three at the most.” Minato said, striving for calm.

“I hope it is two instead of three so you can be back in time for the festival.” Shikaku smiled at Sakura and then Minato.

“Kushina would be disappointed if you didn’t make it back in time.” Shikaku added, looking at Minato.

Minato nodded, “I’ll be in my apartment getting ready Sakura, come up when you’re done.” Minato nodded to Shikaku one more time and left her apartment for his own.

“Is everything alright? I can feel the tension in the room.” Shikaku smiled at Sakura taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together now that Minato was gone.

“The mission is predicted to be a stressful one, if not a short one.” Sakura sighed but smiled again when she looked down at their hands.

“I’m glad you stopped by to see me before I left. I was going to leave you a note.” She told him as she let go of his hand to pack her mission bag.

Shikaku followed her to her wardrobe and sat down on her bed while she packed her things.

“I’m surprised Minato is going with you while he has a Genin team of his own.” He said conversationally.

“I was going to be going solo but the Hokage added him last minute. I will admit, I’m not very pleased about it.” Sakura threw some clothes into her bag and a spare weapons pouch with her poisons and their antidotes in it, her storage scrolls she had brought with her from the future and her picture of Team 7.

Her hand hovered momentarily over her second poisons and antidotes pack. Perhaps it had been her recent skirmish with the missing Sand nin, but she added that pack as well and closed her bag throwing it across her body and tying the end to her belt so it didn’t bump around while they traveled.

“Minato is a good man, he will be an asset on your mission.” Shikaku assured her.

“I know he is, I trust him.” She turned around her apartment checking to make sure she had everything

Shikaku watched her check her things to make sure she had everything. He had noticed the slight tightening of Minato’s mouth when he saw who had been at Sakura’s door. Did she know, he wondered, that the Yellow Flash of Konoha was interested in her?. Probably not he guessed. He had been her first date. A thought occurred to him.

“Sakura?” He asked her.

“Hum?” Sakura turned around to look at Shikaku.

“If I was your first date, then I was also your first kiss wasn’t I?” He smiled at her.

“Yes.” She blushed and looked away from him.

“Good, don’t forget about me while you're on your mission with Minato.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her into a deep kiss.

“Mmph?” Sakura made a small noise, then relaxed and let him take control, kissing him back.

A pointed cough had them breaking apart and turning to see Minato in Sakura’s door, an odd expression on his face.

“Are you ready Sakura?” He asked, looking at Shikaku.

“Oh! Uh yes, sorry Minato.” Sakura blushed and looked back at Shikaku with a grin.

“I’ll see you when I get back?” She smiled at him.

“Definitely. I want to kiss you like that again, maybe at the festival.” Shikaku smiled at her and pulled her to him by her belt and kissed her again, making Minato wait until he was done.

“I couldn’t wait until you got back.” Shikaku rested his forehead against hers and smiled.

Sakura bit her bottom lip and giggled. Her face flushed red, “I’ll hurry back.”

Minato tapped his foot impatiently and all but pushed Sakura out of her door when she was within arms reach and down the stairs turning back to Shikaku who had been waiting for that moment.

“You’re with Kushina, why the face Minato?” Shikaku asked, his hands in his pockets.

“What’s the rush Shikaku, it was only one date?” Minato countered.

“No rush, I just appreciate what I have.” Shikaku walked by the blonde and down the stairs to where Sakura was waiting, giving both men a questioning look.

“She isn’t yours yet.” Minato said quietly.

“More mine than yours.” Shikaku said back, just as quietly.

“Ready?” Sakura asked Minato who had stopped at the foot of the steps and narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, sorry.” Minato cleared his face and smiled at her brightly.

“I’ll tell Kushina you can’t wait to see her when you get back Minato.” The Nara raised a hand behind his head as he walked away.

“And I’ll take good care of Sakura while we’re gone on our mission together for you.” Minato called out a fake grin on his face.

‘What the hell is going on’, Sakura thought to herself as she followed Minato to the front gates.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter sorry. I want to collect my thoughts before moving forward so I don't rush it like I have a tendency to do.

Piercing red eyes bore into the side of the wall searching for something he knew wasn’t there. He had done this too many times, it made him feel desperate, weak, and he refused to feel that way...yet…

His arms rigid and fixed at his sides, a twitch in his right leg...this wasn’t his time, but it was so similar to his that sometimes he felt like...he was home again. Home, this wasn’t his home but a means for redemption, to change to….His heart betrayed him, his family was gone, his past and his future. 

“No.” Madara said out loud his eyes fading back to their original black. “My future here isn’t written.” Slowly, he turned and walked away from the little shrine on the side of the mountain and crossed the border between Fire and Wind. He had a goal, a personal mission and no one was going to stop him from completing it, not even his own deep desires that he had ruthlessly pushed down and trapped in the farthest corner of his heart.

Minato watched her out of the corner of his eye as they walked through the forest together. She had changed in the last few days. There was a lightness to her step that hadn’t been there when they had first met. A softness to her eyes that he despised. ‘The Nara’, his inner voice, chided him.

“How much do you know?” She asked him after they had been walking in silence for some time. Now was as good a time as any, there were things he would need to know and things she would never tell him, but first, she needed to know what the Lord Third had told him.

“The Lord Third told me what he knew, of the Konoha and the world you came from.” He said looking ahead to the trail in front of them.

‘A vague answer’, she smirked to herself as they walked side by side in relative calm.

“The fourth great war, the allied nations, the reanimation but I would rather hear it from you. He can only see so much through that ball of his.” Minato smiled at her, hoping to set her at ease, he knew this couldn’t be easy for her.

Sakura nodded. Of course she knew she would have to talk about it with him, she didn’t even know where to start. It wasn’t something she wanted to voice, the horrors of the war, her failures, her weaknesses. It wasn’t any of his business and knowing too much of the future, could be dangerous.

‘He is the Fourth Hokage’, she reminded herself, he wasn’t just anyone. Everyone had always said how intelligent, kind and insightful the Lord Fourth had been and she knew he was selfless, to have sacrificed himself for the village. Still, he was still a man, and she had to admit there was more to him than she could see, more than what history said there was.

“I will tell you what is required for our mission.” She said carefully.

So she began. She told him about Madara’s plan to collect the biju and to make himself the ten tails host, how he had been the leader of the group called the Akatsuki and how he had used Obito Uchiha to do his bidding when he could not. 

Minato listened without interrupting so she continued.

She explained to him as much as she knew about his plan, his objective and then told him the differences between this time’s Madara and her time’s Madara.

“He looks younger than he did in my time and not by a little, but decades. I saved Obito and deprived him of a very valuable tool, but he didn’t seem to mind, he showed no upset at my interference at all in fact.” That had puzzled her but she attributed it to the fact he simply didn’t know what she knew of the future and didn’t know what she had truly robbed him of.

She paused, “I think, he had things to ask me. I know I had things to ask him but we got interrupted.” She looked at him pointedly.

“So you came back to find Madara and stop him from...collecting the biju and starting the fourth great war?” Minato asked.

“Yes and no. There is no way I could defeat Madara Uchiha, he is just so, he’s too powerful.” She admitted and wasn’t at all ashamed to do so.

“I wanted to ask him why, I want to know why he would want to do such a thing and to tell him what happened as a result of his desires, no matter what his reasons were...in the end, I felt like...like her regretted it when he saw all the devastation he had caused, but by then it was too late.” Her jaw was clenched tight and her hands were fisted at her sides as she walked.

“How did you come back Sakura, how are you here now?” Minato asked her, he needed to know as much as she was willing to tell him, so he could help her.

“I.”, she paused not sure if she should tell him, not sure if he would understand.

“It’s okay.” He saw her struggle in her eyes.

“Tell me when you’re ready. I am just a bit curious though.” He smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

Sakura watched him, that was a Naruto gesture, she smiled. He was so much like her best friend and yet, so different at the same time. It made her miss Naruto terribly. 

“What is it?” Minato smiled at her.

“Oh, sorry, you just remind me of your son.” She looked away from him a little embarrassed.

“You miss him don’t you.” He couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling and for a moment he felt guilty. The Nara made her happy, surely she deserved some happiness after what she had been through.

‘She could be happy with me though’, the voice in the back of his head persisted.

“I miss all of them, very much but yes, I miss Naruto and Sasuke, and Kakashi sensei even more...Ino.” Her voice dropped off.

“That’s why I came back, that’s why I made the contract that I did.” She said it so quietly, that he knew she was talking to herself but he had heard and he wondered what kind of contract one made to travel back in time and with whom...who had that kind of power to grant someone passage through time, and at what cost…

“It’s almost like I’m a ghost. A walking, talking ghost seeing everyone I know to be dead, but even though they are the ones who died in my time, here, it’s me who is out of place. I should be dead. I shouldn’t even be here.” She spoke and he wasn’t sure if she was talking to him again or if she was still speaking to herself so he remained quiet and let her talk.

“I couldn’t stand it, the silence. I would hear the birds, the water, the wind in my ears, the sound of my own voice but...that’s it. That’s all here ever was and then I came and…” She stopped talking.

After several deep breaths she looked at him, stopping on the trail. “I couldn’t stand being alone anymore. I don’t know what I can do, if there is anything to accomplish, but I have to try don’t I?” 

She was asking him, he understood, she needed to hear that what she was doing was right, had meaning, that it wasn’t for nothing.

“Of course you had to try...and I will help you Sakura. I’ll help you I promise.” He reached out to her. For a moment it looked as though she would step back and away from him, but something passed in her eyes and she leaned forward and let him take her in his arms and hug her.

He looked so much like Naruto and she needed a friend, she knew Minato wasn’t the whiskered boy she had grown up with, fought with, bled with but he was as close to Naruto as she could get and she desperately needed her friend at that moment, so she leaned into his touch and let him hug her.

“I know you’re not him. I know you’re not Naruto but for right now, for just a little, let me pretend?” She felt so guilty using Minato like this as the tears fell down her cheeks.

He held her while she cried silently into his shoulder, his arms wrapped tight around her as her shoulders vibrated with the pain and loss. He felt like a thief taking this affection that was meant for his son, a son he didn’t have he reminded himself, with a woman he didn’t love.

Before he could turn his head into her neck, she moved away from him.

“Forgive me.” She wiped her eyes.

“I’m stronger than this. I’m not weak.” She told him, averting her eyes from his direct stare.

“Love isn’t a weakness.” He said stepping close to her again, he hadn’t been ready to let her go.

“It is strength. It gives us the strength to do what we never thought we could do.” He tilted her head up with a finger to her chin and smiled at her glistening tear glazed eyes.

“You’re so strong and brave and beautiful Sakura.” Minato watched awareness pass over her face.

“The Lord Third was right though you know, you’re not alone. Let me help you. Whatever it is you’re doing, you don’t have to do it alone.” He dropped his hand but his eyes remained locked onto hers and she nodded once and the spell was broken.

They both looked away from one another resuming their travel in silence. It would take them over a week to make it to the border of Wind and Fire if they walked the whole way there so after a quick break they set off at a much faster pace.

They had both felt it, a connection had been made between them. She was embarrassed. He wanted more.

Minato watched Sakura’s form flicker in and out of sight as they flashed over the Land of Fire.

“It seems I still have a lot to learn about you, or do all Leaf shinobi in the future know my Flying Thunder God Technique?” He grinned at her as they made camp that night under a dense overgrowth of trees.

“I saw your reanimation perform almost impossible feats with the Lord Second in the war and mastered if after, everyone was gone.” She tried to smile at him.

As they traveled Sakura had started to slowly revert back to her former self. Out of the walls of Konoha she had only her own thoughts to occupy her mind and she found that she had missed that part of herself. Minato remained silent for the most part, which she was grateful for, it gave her time to think and sort out her emotions.

It had taken her near onto six full months to accept the position she had been cast after the war. When she finally realized after walking, running and searching desperately for anyone still alive that there wasn’t anyone left but her, she had hardened her heart and stilled her emotions to the pit of her stomach where they had remained, until she had set foot back into a living breathing Konoha.

‘Focus’, she reminded herself as she set the fire for the night, a slow burning covered fire for heat against the fading Spring chill. Soon, no fire would be needed. They had agreed during the day to hide their presence as much as possible and from here on out they would eat cold rations. Madara Uchiha wasn’t to be underestimated.

They left before dawn and set foot over the border to Wind an hour later just as the sun was rising over the dunes.

He felt them before he saw them moving at an impressive speed, he was ready for them. Raising from the body of the One tailed jinchuuriki, he turned to face them as they ran at him from over the rise.

“Kunoichi.” Madara inclined his head to Sakura as he finished sealing Shukaku, the one tailed bijuu into its scroll of keeping.

“Lord Uchiha.” Sakura’s eye passed over the dead body at his feet.

“If you came to stop me from taking the one tail, I’m afraid you’re too late.” He smirked at her setting his feet into a seemingly relaxed and calm stance.

“So, you’re collecting the tailed beasts…” Sakura confirmed one of her questions she had planned on asking him.

“Since you deprived me of my vessel, you left me with little choice.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Obito.” She said and he nodded.

“You...know don’t you?” She looked him over judging his reaction.

Madara laughed a loud deep laugh that both pleased and startled her at the same time. It wasn’t the same wild and unhinged maniacal laughter she had heard him boast during her last war. It gave her hope, maybe he could be reasoned with.

“I know more than you kunoichi.” His eyes turned to Minato.

“I see you’ve brought a friend, are you sure that’s wise?” He asked her as though they were old friends and it confused her. He wasn’t acting at all like she had expected him to act, but this was a different time, a different place.

“He knows, about my situation as far as he needs to.” She replied not entirely sure what he was referring to.

“Does he.” Madara looked between the two.

“And what is your situation dear, tell me, why do you continue to seek me out, are you trying to stop me?” He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned at her as if to say, ‘Try and stop me girl’.

“I came to ask you, what is your objective…” She hesitated with a quick glance at Minato. “Do you still plan to cast your Infinite Tsukuyomi?”

Madara considered her question but didn’t reply. His eyes bore into hers, a slight twitch to his lips.

“So, you’re from one of those then, interesting.” He cocked his head to the side.

“Which one, do you know?” He asked her.

Sakura didn’t understand his question.

“One of those? Which what?” She asked cautiously.

“You don’t know?” He smirked at her.

“My dear, did you really think you were on your original timeline?” His face broke into a wide grin.

“You really think I am the Madara of your time? Look around you girl, everything's the same but so very different. Is this your first time, your first dimension?” He was being smug and she didn’t like it.

Before Sakura could say anything Minato spoke.

“Dimension, you’re from a different dimension, you can travel through space and time.” Minato wasn't asking, he was clarifying.

“Impossible.” Sakura snapped, but only because she didn’t want to believe it.

“Not impossible dear, probable.” He watched her face change from angry to frightened to sick only to fall into despair.

“What are you looking for, why are YOU here?” He asked her.

“I.” She couldn’t breath, her chest was closing up on her.

“I see you need time to process this information. I have questions for you too. I’ve been watching you dear, you’re different. You’re not like your other selves. I will find you again soon, after you have had time for your new reality to sink in.” Madara smirked at her bowing in mock respect and disappeared in a flash of smoke and light.

The strong smell of ozone filled the air and she collapsed to her knees.

“Impossible.” She muttered.

“No.” She whispered.

Her brain was desperately trying to catch up with her ears.

“No.” She said again.

“He’s lying.” She said, not sure if she was trying to convince herself or Minato.

All of her strength left her and she dropped to her knees staring up at the sky, ‘What if...it’s true?’.

Minato stood beside her staring, he had heard everything but he still...it was a lot to take in. He stooped and gathered the small woman in his arms and ran back over the dunes flashing when he could to their camp the previous night and laid her under the trees to rest.


	12. Chapter 12

‘Impossible’, she kept repeating the word in her head.

Traveling back in time was one thing but traveling through dimensions was...she almost couldn’t even wrap her mind around it when her mind betrayed her, ‘It is no different than time travel’.

It was though, wasn’t it. ‘A different direction’, her mind argued. Direction, time, space…

“Where am I?” She asked herself.

“Our campsite from last night.” Minato said.

Sakura rolled over to look at him. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It was the only answer I Knew to be true.” He smiled a sort of lopsided hopeless smile at her.

“If what that Madara says is true then...what’s the point, why am I here...it doesn’t matter what I do here, it won’t affect the people I love.” She tried to be logical.

“We need to figure out if what he says is the truth, before we go any further.” Minato reasoned.

“I think he is telling the truth. Remember how I told you that there were differences about him from my timeline. They weren’t a result from my actions, he simply IS different...because he isn’t the Madara from my time.” She realized the truth of her own words as she spoke.

“He isn’t the Madara of my time, I saved Obito. He was teasing me, when he said I deprived him...he had never planned on using Obito, but he knew...” She rose to her feet and slowly began pacing around their small enclosure.

“Madara, this Madara knew that I would be here, how did, or if he didn’t...but he wasn’t surprised to see me…” She continued to pace as she worked her previous encounter with Madara out in her head.

“He wasn’t sure about me, he said I was different from my other selves.” She stopped moving.

“How many, how many dimensions has this Madara been to and how many times have I met him?” She said to herself.

“We need to ask him.” Minato had been watching her walk back and forth in front of him while she talked.

“He said he would find me, he…” She had so many questions, her thoughts were spinning around so quickly in her mind that she was getting dizzy, or maybe it was her heart beating so quickly in her chest that her blood pressure was making her feel faint.

There was a pain in her chest and her breath came short. 

“Sakura?” Minato saw the pained look on her face and rose to stand beside her.

“I’m fine, it’s just a lot to take in. The idea of different dimensions with worlds similar or different to our own isn’t something I’ve ever considered before.” She admitted.

“It’s an unusual concept.” Minato said thoughtfully, but it had been something he had considered when the Lord Third had told him of Sakura’s origins. His Flying god technique bent space and time for him to move so quickly, the concept wasn’t new to him.

Sakura looked up at Minato, there was something in his voice, “What, what is it?” She asked him.

“It’s possible that everything Madara told us is correct as much as it is possible it isn’t.” He said carefully.

“But?” Sakura could see he had more to say.

“But if we assume what he says is true, from what he told us, he has been to many different dimensions ...and has run into your other selves, that knew they were in other dimensions...and...he has run into similar dimensions with similar scenarios to your own.” Minato concluded.

“Remember he said, ‘So, you’re from one of those’, as though he had encountered your dimension where he had cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi before. As though he had encountered you there before, but he asked you why you were here in this dimension...so your reasons for dimension hopping have varied between your other selves.” Minato said as his eyes narrowed in thought and he rubbed the backs of his hands in a repetitive motion.

“He said you were different, that he had been watching you. He’ll be back...for you.” Minato looked up at her again and caught her eye.

“He’ll be back, Sakura. You’ll get your answers, just be patient. Let’s use this time to come up with the questions you want to ask him, let’s go back to the village.” He nodded his head once then twice testing his decision.

Sakura stared hard at the trunk of the tree closest to her. She had been listening, had been thinking and what Minato said made sense. She knew Madara would be back, from the moment their first meeting had been interrupted by Minato, she knew they both had things to ask one another, but the reason had changed now, at least for her it had.

“I want to know why he is here, what is it that makes him push forward, why does he keep going from dimension to dimension, what is he looking for.” She could guess but she didn’t want to assume, not with something so important. 

She wasn’t like Kakashi who’s hunches were always right. She wasn’t Naruto who could fly into any situation and come out almost unscathed and save most of the day. She would do this her way. She would wait for Madara to come to her, that way he would be more willing to talk to her, she hoped...if it was his idea.

“This really isn’t any different than any other mission if you break it down, Sakura.” Minato said.

Sakura’s jaw fell open, “Yes it is, dimensional travel is unlike any mission I have ever been on before.”

“What I mean is, if you look at it objectively, it isn’t. You want information that only he has, he wants information from you, it is a trade, a high stakes trade of sorts, just like a mission. If you think of it in those terms, it might keep all of this from seeming overwhelming.” Minato smiled an easy smile at her.

Sakura nodded slowly, “I see what you mean.”

“There’s something else though, something I don’t think you’ve thought of yet.” He smiled at her.

“What?”

“Your dimension, where all your friends and loved ones died, where you were the only one left...isn’t the only dimension. What if you could find the dimension where...Madara lost and the United Shinobi Forces won?” Minato grinned at the look on her face.

“Find one where we won.” She said quietly.

“Well, Madara has obviously found a way to travel multiple times through multiple dimensions, why not you. You could keep jumping dimensions until you find the one where you won your war.” He grinned.

“If I did that, say I did find one where we had won the war instead of losing everything, which seems almost impossible, there would be another Sakura there, another one of my selves. What then?” She asked him.

“I don’t know.” He admitted rubbing the back of his head.

‘Kill her and take her place’, a small voice said in the back of her head.

‘Could I really do that?’, she tapped her finger nail against her teeth while she thought about it. Would it even be murder, if it was yourself you were killing? The probability of finding her perfect dimension seemed almost as impossible as the situation she was in. 

“That’s what Madara is looking for, he is looking for his perfect dimension.” Sakura turned to Minato, who nodded.

“I think so.” Minato smiled at her and she smiled back. Progress.

“But, what if it doesn’t exist or, I spend the rest of my life looking for it but never find it.” She frowned.

“It seems a bit too early to jump to conclusions like I said before but, you might leave one dimension for one worse than the one your were just in. What if there are only a certain number of times one can cross over, then you’re left in a dimension that might be severely worse than the last, first or third one you traveled to.” Minato said what she had already been thinking.

“This one was so similar to your own, you didn’t even notice.” He pointed out to her.

“You could be happy here.” He added. “If you stayed.”

“I don’t know. I have a lot to think about.” She sat down on the ground, her legs tucked up under her chin, her arms hugging them up to her chest.

“I’ll make a fire, since we aren’t trying to sneak up on him anymore and I doubt we could now that I’ve met the man. There was a river a mile back. I’ll go get us some fresh fish.” He left her alone to her thoughts.

Minato ran along the river bank lost in his own thoughts as he scanned the water for their dinner. A flicker of silver, a flick of his wrist, and two trout skipped out of the water and landed on the opposite bank impaled by his kunai.

He felt his presence and rose with the fish in one hand and a kunai in the other.

“Uchiha San, lovely evening isn’t it?” Minato turned around to meet the red glowing eyes of Madara Uchiha.

“Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage and the hero of the Third shinobi war, the Yellow Flash of Konoha, father of the Nine tailed jinchuuriki Naruto Uzumaki.” Madara’s voice was smooth, cultured...dangerous.

“At least that’s how she sees you.” A grin broke out on Madara’s face.

“I have seen other sides of you, darker selves in other dimensions. I wonder, which Namikaze are you here?” Madara crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’ve met Sakura before.” Minato said, a statement he knew was a fact by now.

“I have, many times, in many different dimensions.” Madara watched the blonde.

“Each one unique, remarkable...beautiful. Even the few weak ones were...dangerous in their own way. Each one innocent in a different way. An admirable quality. Don’t you think?” Madara hummed.

“I wouldn’t know having only met one.” Minato replied not at all impressed with the man’s interest in Sakura.

“You said this one, here with me, is different though, what did you mean by that?” Minato asked.

“A conversation for another time perhaps. I didn’t come here to talk about my Sakura.” Madara grinned at the blonde when he stiffened at his claim.

“She isn’t yours.” Minato said, his eyes narrowed.

“Is she yours? Here?” Madara asked seriously.

“Here? So there have been other dimensions that you know where...she was mine?” Minato answered Madara’s question in his excitement.

“A thorn Namikaze, that’s what you are and always have been. A thorn in my side. This time, I am trying a different approach with you.” Madara uncrossed his arms and pulled out a scroll.

“This is a traveling contract. There is no beginning and no end. I will give it to you, you can go now and find your perfect world, but you must leave now.” Madara held the scroll out in front of him.

Minato and Madara stood facing one another each impassive in his own way, each calculating their next move.

Minato thought, ‘To grab it and run is impossible’, and Madara was thinking, ‘If he takes it, I’ll have one of the two missing pieces that have been missing from my life back at my side’.

“A tempting offer, if it truly is what you say it is but I decline.” Minato grinned at the twitch in the other man’s eye.

Madara sighed, “I didn’t think you would be swayed so easily. Like I said you have been near a constant torn in my side, I didn’t expect that to change now. Especially now.” He added cryptically.

“How many, how many dimensions have you been to, what are you looking for?” Minato asked.

“Too many to count.” Madara sighed.

“What are you looking for?” Minato truly wanted to know so he asked him again.

“What everyone is looking for...happiness.” He disappeared in a white cloud of smoke and Minato was once again alone by the river’s bank, fish in his hand.

“Happiness?” Minato repeated.

Sakura was grateful that Minato was taking his time by the river. She had waited until he had left the cover of the trees to let her few tears fall. Just a few and then she was done. There wasn’t time to cry, she told herself. Slowly she began the familiar process of working through the events since she had come to this time one by one. She painstakingly labeled and placed each event into a category using logic and the knowledge she now had about dimensional travel.

By the time Minato had returned with their fish, she had a rudimentary plan together. Admittedly it wasn’t much different than the one they had before he left but with a few minor changes. She wanted to know what Madara’s plans were, why he was there.

‘If he’s different, if he is looking for something and he doesn’t find it here, he will move on. I can stay here, and be with my loved ones, just a generation back. I can stay and make sure all the bad things that happened in my dimension don’t happen here.’ She thought of Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi.

She could help them all, like she had helped Obito, Rin and Kakashi. The Uchiha massacre, Naruto’s lonely childhood, Lord Third’s death...even Gaara. She could make sure they have the bright future she had wanted for her people.

Her hands twisted together in her lap. Shikaku wasn’t supposed to be dating her, he was supposed to marry Yoshino. She bit her lip. She really liked him, but if she got in the way of Shikaku and Yoshino marrying, Shikamaru wouldn’t be born and it would be her fault. She couldn’t let that happen, could she?

With her mind made up she stoked the fire and set the kettle to boil for tea. She would return to the village with Minato. She would continue to take missions with Anbu and seek out those she knew to be a treat to Konoha’s future happiness and kill them one by one.

Sakura needed to speak to the Lord Third. It had been a long time since she had had to think of such things but as she planned and added names to her list she recalled the main reason for the massacre was that the Uchiha clan had been planning a coup. They were massacred by Itachi to prevent a civil war, to preserve Konoha’s peace. What if...she stopped the coup from happening. What if she stemmed the flow of hostility, cut off the flow of hatred before it could develop into anything substantial...

Minato cleaned their fish and watched her out of the corner of his eyes. He saw her jaw tighten, her eyes grow hard, then soft and wondered what she was thinking. He had sharpened two sticks to roast their fish with and staked them into the ground close to the fire to cook. He continued to watch Sakura’s face. It fascinated him to see the raw emotions flow over her face changing as quickly as ripples over water in a lake.

He watched as her shoulders straightened and she stretched a small smile on her face. She had come to a conclusion of sorts he realized. She has a plan and he wondered what it was. 

He had learned with her, he couldn’t just ask her, she had to tell him on her own. If he pushed her, she would clam up or push back, neither of which would tell him what he wanted to know.

She looked up at him then and smiled. He smiled back wondering what had made her smile like that, pleased she was smiling again.

“I will wait, like you suggested for Madara to come to me.” She spoke without prompting.

“I think it’s a risk though, to try to find a new dimension with the outcome I so selfishly desire.” She hesitated.

“I can help this one. I can make sure the events that tore my world up don’t happen to yours. In that way, I will still be protecting those I love, just...in a different dimension. At first, I wanted to find what you had suggested, a dimension where the Allied forces win the war but, then I thought, what of this one, what will happen to them if I leave, knowing what I know.” She ran her hand through her hair pulling it out of it’s low ponytail and letting it fall around her face.

“If I leave...I leave knowing I could have done something to prevent...well to just prevent certain things from happening.” She said.

“You're going to stay here?” Minato asked hopefully.

“I know it isn’t my world but it is so similar, I didn’t even know there was a difference before Madara told us there was, so, yes. I will stay and make sure what happened to my world doesn't happen to yours.” She smiled at him again.

Minato nodded, She was such a combination of both innocence and danger, just like Madara had said. Minato knew how rare that was, he himself hadn’t been satisfied with Kushina, he had planned on settling before she had come along. Was she to Madara, what she was to him? Was she one of the things he had been looking for?

Minato bit the inside of his lip until he tasted blood. Reaching out automatically he turned their fish on their sticks and stared into the flames.

“Sakura.” He said her name slowly, wondering if he should be saying her name at all.

“What is it?” She turned to him, the firelight making her pink tresses glow with a luminance that was ethereal in nature and in that moment she looked like a fairy goddess, surrounded by woods and the silent night save for the crackle and sporadic pops from the moisture that had been trapped in the wood that burned beside them.

“I know this isn’t your original home but I think you could be happy here. I don’t know what troubles you speak of, what you hope to prevent but...if I can, I’ll help you.” His eyes held hers over the fire.

Sakura looked at Naruto’s dad, then reprimanded herself, not Naruto’s dad. She wasn’t in her time, her world and for the first time since she had met Minato she saw him not as Naruto’s father but as a man. She looked away.

“Thank you Minato.” She looked back into their shared fire, not liking at all where her thoughts were going.

Even if he wasn’t or wouldn’t be Naruto’s dad in this timeline, he was still Namikaze Minato and she was still Sakura Haruno, she smiled to herself. It was Sasuke all over again.

“I wonder now, how my being here will change the future. I am not the same person I was in my time. When I would be born here in this time, will I, this me, disappear or will I simply not be born and that line of my time never exist here?” She asked the open question. He could answer if he liked or pretend he hadn't heard her.

“I think it depends on the soul.” He said.

“Where your soul is, and what you consider an entity. Are all your ‘selves’ a separate entity with a separate soul, or is it one soul and several entities?” He asked.

“I will ask Madara when I see him. I too want to know that. He might not know either though.” She watched the flames dance before her.

“I just want the people I care about to be happy, if I can’t help mine, yours are the next best thing.” She laughed.

“Maybe I can even help Sasori.” She laughed again at the thought.

“Sasori? The Suna nin?” Minato asked her, surprised.

“He was the loneliest man I have even met and Lady Chiyo, she missed him so much, if they knew how the other felt, maybe he wouldn’t have turned out the way he did, maybe he would still be...real.” She hugged her knees to her chest and turned her head to smile at him again.

“You would help an enemy?” He asked her needing to understand why she thought the things she did, why she was who she was. He hated to admit it but he understood Madara’s fascination with the girl, he was fascinated himself, had been since they had met.

“Sasori isn’t really my enemy here, now, we’ve never met here. Of course, I can’t just walk into Suna and tell him I’m from another dimension and want to help him can I.” She laughed at the thought.

“What about you? You think of everyone but yourself. You deserve to be happy too, perhaps more than everyone else what you’ve been through, what you plan on doing to protect Konoha. What do you want, Sakura?” He asked moving closer to her, his hand on hers, over her knee.

“I want…” Her thoughts flashed to a picture of Sasuke, standing tall beside Naruto in the last battle.

“What I want doesn’t exist anymore, he’s...not even born yet and when he is...I’ll be too old for him.” She laughed, a slight tinge of resentment underlining the silvery sound.

“Oh.” Minato said quietly.

“Of course you had someone you loved then, there. I’m sorry Sakura.” He looked at her with his blue eyes and she turned her head and laid in on his shoulder.

“You remind me of Naruto so much. I won’t use you though, I won’t use you and pretend you’re him to...make myself feel better. I’m sorry about before, Minato.” She said sadly.

“Use me.” He choked on his own words then laughed.

“I mean. I’m here for you. I might not be the best friend you left behind but I can be someone here, in this time for you to rely on.” He slid his arm around her shoulder and drew her close to his side, fit his chin over the top of her head.

“He was more than a friend...after Sasuke, he...we were, well, it’s complicated but we were a little more than friends.” She said quietly, a light blush on her cheeks.

Sakura sighed into his touch, it was so familiar to her and yet, it wasn’t, it was nice though, whatever it was and she closed her eyes. For the first time since she had come back she felt safe and she wasn’t quite ready to let that feeling go yet.

Minato closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He could feel the warmth from their fire, the warmth of her body so close to his. He could smell her hair as it lifted and moved across his arm and cheek. ‘More than a friend’, He moved closer to her, she didn’t pull away. She was starting to trust him. Minato smiled. 

He could feel her body relaxing further against his, her eyes were closed and her breathing had started to change.

“You’re so beautiful Sakura.” He whispered into her hair, closing his eyes.

“Thank you Minato.” She said quietly.

Minato’s fingers twitched against her hand. He wanted to touch her more.

Sakura looked up at his face, her eyes open. Minato looked down at her, she wanted something, she was waiting for him to...he hesitated for a fraction of a thought, bent his head and kissed her slowly at first. When she didn’t resist him, when she didn’t pull away he pulled her onto his lap and tilted her head up and to the side.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered and began to pull away from him.

“This isn’t fair to you. I’m a terrible person.” She refused to meet his eyes again.

Minato didn’t try to pull her back, he didn’t move. When he spoke it was calm, soothing and comforting.

“I won’t pretend to know what kind of a relationship you had with my son in your dimension and I am not trying to be tactless, but Sakura, you aren’t in your dimension anymore and my son is not here, but I am.” He laughed a little.

“This is definitely an odd situation.” He rubbed the back of his head and grinned, like she had told him his son did and made her think of him.

It had worked, she smiled at him, a sadness in her eyes, but her eyes were soft when she looked at him. He reached out to her and waited. She looked at his hand, then the ground and sighed.

“Let me be here for you, please.” He said, waiting patiently.

Sakura looked up, his eyes were just like Naruto’s. So kind and so gentle. She nodded once and placed her hand in his. He smiled and pulled her back to his side, tucking her under his arm and kissing the top of her head. She fell asleep in his embrace. He stayed awake until morning, refusing to sleep and miss even a moment.

They left after sunrise and didn’t speak again until their feet landed on Konoha soil.

“Sakura. I know last night probably meant more to me than it did to you but I want you to know, you’re not alone anymore.” Minato reminded her.

She nodded. “Thanks Minato. I’ll go report to the Hokage, you get some rest.” She leapt to the roof tops and ran to the tower.

Minato stood on the street alone and watched her go, turning to walk back to his apartment once she was out of sight.

Kushina watched Minato from the park bench she had been sitting on, waiting for him to return from his mission. He hadn’t even noticed she was there. He hadn’t noticed anything but Sakura. She closed her book in her lap, stood and walked back to her own apartment. They would need to talk but, now was not the time. She needed to think.


	13. Chapter 13

Sakura leapt through the Hokage’s window and landed on a knee, her head bent.

“Lord Third, Namikaze and I have returned.” Sakura said, raising her head to meet the Hokage’s eyes.

“Welcome back Sakura. I assume you found your target? Do you know what he was doing, what he wants?” The Lord Third asked her.

“His objective is unclear. We spoke, only briefly. He said he would find me again, that we would speak again when he felt I was ready.” She didn’t tell him everything and knew he knew she was holding back but she didn’t care.

Sarutobi nodded, his eyes fixed on the pink haired kunoichi in front of him.

“I have seen many things in my ball since you’ve joined us here in this time Sakura, some good and some bad. It is both relieving and a burden to have such a jutsu at my disposal. It is helpful if taken with a grain of salt and nerve wracking when I can only see so much and so much if left to the unknown or chance. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t seen anything at all.” He was being honest.

“I only know bits and pieces of the woman that you are, your accomplishments, your personality, but I think...you are a good person and I trust you will tell me what really happened on your mission, when you’re ready.” Sarutobi smiled at her.

“I.” Sakura began, “Thank you for your understanding Lord Third.” She inclined her head to the Hokage and jumped back out of his window without being dismissed.

“Are you sure that’s wise Hokage Sama?” Inoichi stepped out from behind the Hokage’s hidden door.

“She knew you were there Inoichi.” Hiruzen smiled at the blonde who looked a bit startled, he hadn’t realized she had felt his chakra signature, she had made no indication of knowing.

“Sakura Haruno, apprentice to the fifth Hokage Tsunade Senju, killed Sasori of the Red Sand before the fourth great ninja war who she is the sole survivor, time traveler, poisons specialist, medical ninja, Anbu Captain...what else...what else are you that you aren’t showing us, what else are you hiding in that head of yours Sakura chan?” 

Inoichi stood in front of the Hokage and listened with attentive ears, he had no idea the woman was so...he couldn’t even think of the word.

“Who knows, who knows who she is and where she is from Hokage Sama?” Inoichi asked.

“Minato, you and I. I would like to keep it that way.” The Lord Third stood to look out of the wide windows of the Hokage’s Tower office.

“Yes Hokage Sama.” Inoichi bowed and was about to leave when the Lord Third called him back.

“Inoichi, proceed as discussed. Do not underestimate her though, remember what I told you about her. I told you for a reason, do not take her lightly. She is not a bad or a malicious person, but no one comes out of Anbu unscathed, just like war, and she has done and been through both.” The Hokage warned the Yamanaka.

Inoichi nodded and left the tower, his head filled with speculation, worry and a plan. He would find out just who Sakura Haruno was and what she was doing here.

Sakura opened the door to her apartment and set her bag down on the table to the right. Closing her door she rested her head back against it and took a few deep breaths. She knew Inoichi was behind the Hokage’s hidden door. She herself had hidden there several times and listened in on meetings at Tsunade’s request. SHe wondered why, but she could guess.

‘Good luck’, she laughed to herself. Ino had been her best friend, she knew how to kick a Yamanaka from her head.

She had every intention of telling the Hokage what had happened on their mission, but not yet. She wanted time to process it, time to think and come up with her own hypothesis on her own. She had thought of nothing else since their meeting with Madara but had very little to go on. She would tell the Hokage, after she spoke with Madara again, after she knew for sure what her objectives would be, after she had a more concrete plan together. She liked to be prepared and this would be no different.

She smiled to herself. She had more freedom in this time than she had on her own. In this dimension she had the respect of people through her intellect, strength and through what the Hokage had seen through his jutsu. Back in her dimension, in her time she was just ‘Sakura’, you know, ‘That girl’. Here, she had the freedom to be so much more.

Sakura looked around her little studio apartment, it reminded her of Kakashi’s apartment of her time and she smiled thinking of her old sensei. He was here now, younger, but here and whole. Obito was alive, Rin was safe. The ages had changed but the people were the same. She didn’t think she would be able to find another dimension as close to her own as this one. She had never hopped a dimension before of course but she imagined it couldn’t be easy, her own hop had left her hurt and aching for days afterward.

Of course she hadn’t known she was hopping to another dimension, which brought her thoughts back to her contract. It had been an open ended contract, without limitations. It hadn’t been the time travel contract she had thought it had been though.

Walking to the corner of the room she pulled up her hidden cache that she had brought with her and pulled out her contract scroll. Sitting on the floor she unrolled it and began to look at it in great detail.

An hour had passed and she sat with the scroll now unfurled to its entirety and crumpled up around her where she had gripped parts of it in her desire to learn more about it as she read. This wasn’t the scroll she had bargained for, this was not the contract she had thought it was. It was indeed a dimensional travel scroll, as well as a time traveling scroll.

The stipulation was, if there wasn’t a time in her original timeline she would be sent instead to the next closest time frame and dimension that fit her desired criteria. She closed her eyes and willed the pain away that was settling in her chest.

She leaned back over the scroll pulling up the last part she had been reading and pressed her palms on it to flatten it over her lap. ‘A sacrifice from the two closest souls’, Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto had told her about the scroll contract before he had died, before he had bled to death from a wound that wouldn’t heal, in her arms.

Flashback…

“In my storage scroll Sakura, there is a special scroll. I was saving it, but it looks like I won’t be able to use it. I want to give it to you. I think...I think we’re going to lose this war and if we do, promise me, promise, you’ll go back, promise me you’ll do what I can’t and change the future, go back and change things so….so this doesn’t happen to us again.” He handed her a storage scroll, his blood dripped over the seal and his hands glowed a deep red, the Nine tails chakra.

“For you. Kurama’s chakra will help you. I sealed his chakra into the scroll for you, he was willing, he likes you.” He had said, coughed and grinned at her with a bloody grin.

“I trust you.” He breathed his last breath and his hand fell limp, the scroll rolled from his grasp and onto her knee where she had knelt beside him holding his limp body in her arms.

End flashback…

Sakura wiped the tears before they could fall onto the contract. He had been the last one to die. The last one to leave her. She remembered feeling the power flow through her, the surge of hatred and angst take control of her heart.

“Kurama.” She whispered.

Nothing.

She didn’t have the bijuu inside of her like Naruto had. She wasn’t a jinchuriki, only a vessel for his chakra, given freely, to wield freely. She smiled. She never would have been able to master the Flying Thunder God technique if not for Naruto’s help. If she hadn’t had the fox’s chakra she wouldn’t have been able to use the contract scroll, which is of course why he had given it to her.

With the nine tails chakra and her perfect chakra control, she was stronger than she had ever been in her own time. A year, she had trained almost non stop for a year after the war, preparing for the day when she could save them all, change the future and right all the wrongs that had led to that cursed war.

She rolled the scroll back up and sealed it with her chakra placing it back into the floor boards with her other keepsakes and sealed that as well.

Stretching she grabbed her bag from the table by the door and went to the bathroom to start her shower. She would get cleaned up, grab something to eat and maybe see if Shikaku was around to let him know she had returned.

She would have sent her summons but she no longer had Lady Katsuyu who had perished in the war. She had thought of trying to summon the slug once she had gotten back to Konoha but so many things had happened so quickly and had prevented her from summoning her. 

Sakura bit her thumb and made the hand signs slamming her palm to the floor. She watched and waited, nothing happened. She sighed, well, now she knew. She wondered how hard it would be to find another summons. Did she even need one she wondered. Tsunade had her sign a contract with the slugs like her because she was her apprentice but Sakura often wondered if she hadn’t been Tsunade Shisou’s apprentice, what sort of summons she would have had.

She shrugged as she stepped under the hot spray of the shower head and closed her eyes, it didn’t really matter, she thought. She would maybe add ‘Go to the library’, after lunch and Shikaku.

As it happened Shikaku wasn’t at the Nara compound when she went to see him so she had left a note at the gate for him letting him know she was back from her mission and would see him at the festival tomorrow. She left the compound and headed to one of the food stands she had spotted on her way to the compound. It was small and she didn’t remember it being there in the Konoha of her time.

Sakura had just sat down with her food when she felt the familiar chakra signature of Obito Uchiha. 

Obito spotted Sakura sitting alone at one of his favorite food stands and ran over to her with a wide smile on his face, ignoring the startled look of the man he had been walking with leaving him to follow at his leisure.

“Sakura Chan! How are you today?” He slid into the seat across from her and picked up a menu obviously intending on joining her for lunch.

Sakura laughed at the boy and smiled, waving for the waitress to come take his order.

“Obito, it is very rude to invite yourself to lunch.” A black haired man frowned at the grinning boy.

“Please excuse Obito, and please excuse me for interrupting. I am Tenma Uchiha, a friend of Obito’s late parents.” Tenma introduced himself.

“I don’t mind, pleased to meet you Tenma, please join us if you like.” Sakura waved her hand to the other seat across from her side of the table.

Tenma hesitated but nodded quickly and took the seat next to Obito. Not everyone in the village welcomed Uchiha to their table so kindly and freely as this woman had invited them and he wondered who she was.

“Sakura Chan, I heard you were on a mission, was it fun, what did you do?” Obito asked her after they had ordered hier food and their tea had been poured.

“It was easy Obito, nothing exciting, just information recon.” She drank her tea relishing in the warmth as it flooded her mouth and seeped down the back of her throat.

“Oh, I was hoping it would be another super cool mission like when we first met!” He was practically bouncing in his seat.

“When you first met? You met one another on a mission?” Tenma asked curiously.

“Well, not exactly.” Sakura murmured into her tea as a shadow fell over their table. She had felt his chakra moving slowly and steadily toward her since Obito had sat down and she wondered if he would join her eventually.

Sakura smiled and looked up to see Shikaku smiling down at her.

“I got your message from the guards, may I join your group for lunch?” He pulled out the chair next to Sakura’s and sat down without waiting for her answer.

Obito gave the Nara a frown but remained silent much to Tenma’s amusement.

“Not at all Shikaku, I’m glad you got my message, it’s nice to see you.” Sakura poured him a cup of tea and set it in front of him.

“I’m happy to see you’re back in time for the festival tomorrow, you made good time.” He commented as he picked up his tea cup.

“Yes.” Sakura’s smile fell slightly but brightened again when Obito reminded her she was about to tell Tenma how they had met when the Nara had shown up and interrupted her.

Shikaku’s mouth twitched in amusement but he inclined his head to Obito, “Pardon my intrusion.” He turned to Skaura who was laughing openingly, “Please tell us, how did you and Obito San meet?”

“It was the Battle of Kannabi Bridge!” Obito said before Sakura could say anything.

“I thought you wanted Sakura San to tell us.” Tenma muttered, amused again at Obito’s enthusiasm.

Obito blushed.

“It was before actually.” Sakura smiled at Obito who blushed a deeper red than before as he adjusted his goggles on his head.

“She was amazing, she saved my whole team, she cut a guy in half that was going to attack Bakashi!” Obito told the table.

“Diagonally!” He nearly shouted in his excitement to ellt he story.

“Settle down Obito.” Tenma warned.

“Diagonally?” Shikaku looked at Sakura.

“Ah well, I got used to doing it that way in the war, makes it easier to step into the next blow.” Sakura explained.

“Hum.” Tenma eyed the woman appreciatively.

“An interesting strategy.” Shikaku nodded. ‘But unnecessary’, he knew.

“Before that though she moved two huge boulders and then smashed an even larger boulder with one fist that would have crushed me like a bug!” Obito exclaimed.

The Uchiha and the Nara looked at her in surprise.

“Uh, chakra infused fists.” She explained.

“Impressive.” Shikaku said while the Uchiha nodded, impressed.

“It’s not that big of a deal.” Skaura didn’t like being the center of this conversation.

“Then she healed my smashed ankle, on the spot, and it was as good as new, nothing to it, not even a scratch to show I was even injured.” Obito all but pulled his foot up on the table to show them.

“You’re a medic nin?” Tenma asked her, impressed even further.

“Most medic nin don’t fight, they stay back and heal when the battle is over.” He commented.

“I’m not like those medic nin. I am trained for the front lines.” Sakura took a sip of her tea.

“Clearly.” Tenma was looking at her with a look of clear interest and Shikaku laughed to himself.

After lunch Sakura and Shikaku said goodbye to Tenma and a reluctant Obito and walked together toward the park. They sat down on what was quickly becoming ‘their’ bench and looked out over the water.

Shikaku took Sakura’s hand in his and threw his other arm over the back of the bench relaxing into their conversation.

“So, you’re a dangerous battle kunoichi and a skilled medic, no wonder I can’t find you in any of our records. You must be Root.” He joked with her.

Sakura’s grasp on his hand tightened as well as her other hand into a fist and he looked at her startled. 

“I’m not Root.” She almost hissed.

“Forgive me. I was trying to see if…” He trailed off the end of his sentence under her hard gaze.

“I know what you were doing. You will not find a record of me anywhere, do not make assumptions of my status in the village.” She knew she was being hard, that he hadn’t really meant anything by it but visions of Sai laying face down in his own blood, dead in the second to the last wave still haunted her dreams.

“I’m sorry Sakura.” He said sincerely.

She studied him briefly and nodded briskly. She hadn’t pulled her hand from his but he could tell she was still tense through their shared touch.

“Most people don’t even know what Root is. It was a shot in the dark and I’m sorry.” He apologized again.

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t his fault, not really, how could he know her past, know how that would affect her.

‘A shot in the dark indeed’, she almost laughed out loud but she controlled her emotions.

“There are things I can’t tell you, just know, I’m a loyal Konoha nin and if you still doubt me like I assume you do by your constant digging, ask the Hokage.” She said, not unkindly.

“It’s that Nara brain of yours working overdrive I bet.” She tried to tease him and the tension between them broke.

Shikaku smiled good naturedly, relieved she hadn’t taken offense to his less than gentle prying.

“Well, you did appear almost out of nowhere and I admit the more I learn about you, the more interested in you I am and the more I want to get to know you.” He said honestly.

“I’m not that special.” She said annoyed and he laughed.

“I think you have a very different definition for that word than everyone else.” He smiled at her.

She shrugged and looked out over the water. “I’m not like everyone else.” She said quietly.

“I noticed.” He pulled her closer to him by the hand and ran his fingers through her hair.

“Pink hair, so unusual, so beautiful. It suits you.” He smiled at her in that slow Nara fashion and her heart skipped a beat.

Sakura watched his eyes pass over her face taking in every detail.

“The diamond on your forehead, Mito Uzumaki had one fo those, perhaps you are a distant Uzumaki?” He teased her but she knew he was still fishing for information from her and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“I’m not an Uzumaki but it is a seal, a special one that allows me to fight on the front lines as a medic.” She smiled at his surprise.

“A seal that allows you to fight on the front lines? Who taught you that? Do you perhaps know Tsunade?” He asked her, his curiosity peaked all over again.

“I have heard of her of course.” Sakura said carefully.

“I have heard she is developing something similar to mine or has she already?” Sakura asked.

“I believe she has but I’m not sure, she left the village after the second war. No one seems to know where she is now.” He told her.

“Hum.” Sakura knew a little about that but didn’t voice her opinion. 

She didn’t want to encourage a connection to be drawn between her and Tsunade but of course since she had been her Shisou, the connection should be clear to anyone who wasn’t blind. Shikaku hadn’t had the opportunity to see her fight yet though. He wouldn’t make the connection, she was sure of it, Nara or not.

“Sakura Sensei!” 

Shikaku and Sakura turned to see Rin Nohara racing across the field toward them where they sat by the lake.

“Sorry, it’s the hair, I can be spotted from miles away.” She laughed.

“Worth it.” He kissed her lightly before Rin could interrupt him.

Rin came to a stumbled halt before them, her eyes wide at the kiss she had just witnessed. Kakashi slumped up behind her, his cheeks tinted pink at the top over his mask, his eyes averted and Obito was glaring openly at the Nara.

“Oi! What do you think you’re doing kissing Sakura Chan like that out in public!” Obito was growling at the Nara who looked amused.

Minato walked up behind his team and stood there watching the scene with ill concealed amusement and a hint of...annoyance? Sakura wondered.

Sakura blushed. She hadn’t forgotten about kissing Minato on their mission or that she had stopped it from going any further. Shikaku and her had been on a date, maybe this counted as two but she didn’t feel he held any claim over her anymore than Minato did.

She raised her eyes to meet Minato’s. His blue eyes looked at her with a sort of frantic energy in them that she didn’t quite understand. She felt Shikaku shift in his seat beside her and realized they were still holding hands.

“Good afternoon Sakura.” Minato greeted her casually, but his eyes flashed quickly back and forth between her and the Nara.

“Minato.” She inclined her head raising her brow at him, ‘What?’, her look said.

Minato narrowed his eyes at the woman.

“Sakura, may I speak with you for a moment?” Minato asked her politely.

When Sakura didn’t move or say anything he added, “Please?”

She smiled at Shikaku who gave her a questioning look, but rose and nodded at Minato who took her by the arm and walked her away from the others quickly.

“What are you doing?” She looked down to where he had her arm gripped painfully between his fingers.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He said a bit more heatedly than he had meant to.

Minato took a deep breath to calm himself.

“What is that supposed to mean!” She asked him, her voice becoming just as heated as his.

“You kissed me on our mission, and now you’re kissing him.” Minato waved his hand out toward Shikaku who was watching them argue with great interest that was barely less noticeable than Kakashi, Obito and Rin, who were also watching.

“You kissed me.” She hissed as he pulled her farther away from the group that couldn’t seem to even pretend they weren’t trying to listen in on their conversation.

“You didn’t stop me, you let me kiss you.” He countered.

“I did stop you, if you recall.” She bit back at him, her hand on her hip glaring at him.

“You didn’t want me to stop. I know when a woman wants me.” He pulled her closer to him by her arm and she pulled back.

“I do not want you, it’s not like that you’re just, you’re…” She couldn’t find the right words, she wasn’t even sure how she felt about him and here they were out in the middle arguing with Shikaku and his team watching and who knew who else…

Sakura ripped her arm out of his vise grip and ran her hands through her unbound hair in frustration.

“I like you, I do, but it’s not how you think. I know you’re not my friend’s dad, I know that now but, you look so much like him and at times it seems like….it’s just confusing for me okay?” She hoped he could understand, she didn’t know how else to explain it, what to say.

Minato watched her struggling with her words, she wasn’t flat out rejecting him he realized. That realization calmed him considerably.

“You said he was like a brother to you, my son, in your time.” He started slowly.

“He was but...in the end when Sasuke left and there was just him and I who understood what that loss truly meant we kinda, ugh, it’s so hard to explain. We turned to one another a few times for...comfort.” She said quietly refusing to look at him.

“Comfort? You mean you and my son...you two …” He hesitated, not sure how he felt about this crazy situation.

“No!” She said horrified at what he must be thinking.

“It’s not like that, we never even kissed but, it was, we would hold one another and touch and...it was, look there was a war going on and we grew up together, do you understand?” She asked him meeting his eyes reluctantly.

“I’m sorry. I think I understand, you were, there for one another.” He said.

“The Nara, do you...after our mission I thought we were...” He watched her for a reaction.

“It was a kiss Minato, just a kiss it didn’t mean anything.” She didn’t think she would be able to take the rejection again. She had learned her lesson with Sasuke about aiming too high.

“It didn’t mean anything?” His voice cracked and he took a step forward, she took a step back and he growled.

They stood there staring at one another and he took another step toward her and she backed up again making him even more angry.

“Are you scared of me?” He asked her darkly.

“Does she need to be?” Shikaku was beside them, Sakura jumped, she hadn’t realized he had come over to them but Minato didn’t look surprised in the slightest.

“This doesn’t concern you Nara.” Minato said more or less politely.

“Doesn’t it?” Shikaku turned to Sakura.

“I don’t have anything else to say to you Minato.” She took Shikaku’s hand and walked in the opposite direction of Minato and his team, back toward her apartment with Shikaku’s hand in hers.


	14. Chapter 14

Minato stood deathly still as he watched Sakura walk away from him with the Nara, his chakra cracking around him.

Kakashi watched his sensei with narrowed eyes. Rin, he and Obito had watched the whole thing and while they couldn’t hear what was being said they knew that something had happened, something important to their sensei, Sakura sensei and the Nara clan heir.

“Minato sensei seems really upset doesn’t he?” Rin said to Kakashi who nodded.

“I’ve never seen him so angry before, I didn’t know he could get angry like this.” She added.

“Do you think Sakura Chan is alright, she looked really upset too and almost frightened of Minato Sensei.” Obito was watching their sensei just like Rin and Kakashi were.

“It’s none of our business. Let’s stay out of it.” Kakashi said wisely.

“Come on, we need to rain, sensei will join us when he’s ready.” Kakashi pulled Rin by the hand and Obit followed with one last backward glance at their sensei who hadn’t moved and was looking off into the distance where Sakura and the Nara had gone even though they could no longer be seen.

Shikaku didn’t speak or ask her any questions as they walked back to her apartment. She opened the door and stood aside to let him in, if he wanted, and he stepped inside taking off his shoes and setting them in the little wooden cubby by the door.

Sakura did the same and walked over to her stove, filled her kettle and set it to boil. She continued to pull cups and loose leaf tea from her shelf and set them beside the burner.

Turning, she smiled at Shikaku, “I find tea helps with these sorts of things.”

Shikaku smiled in understanding and sat down on the couch at her invitation.

Once the tea had been poured and they had each started drinking she sighed and set hers on the little refreshment table in front of them.

“I’m sorry about Minato. Our mission, we found...let’s just say some sensitive information that confused us both and we each handled and perceived it differently.” She said carefully.

“He likes you.” Shikaku said bluntly.

“Yes, I just realized that.” Sakura sighed and ran her hand over her face.

“You didn't know before?” He asked.

“No of course not!” She laughed at the very thought of her entertaining such a ludicrous idea.

Shikaku relaxed a little, she hadn’t been leading him on then, good.

“He doesn’t like me now he just misunderstood something, I hope I just clarified it for him.” She took her cup in her hands again. Tea really was good for these kinds of conversations. It gives you something to do while you think instead of sitting in awkward silence.

Shikaku listened to her words and thought them over in his head before he replied. Minato had misunderstood her, her feelings apparently and she had just clarified it, so she had told him she wasn’t interested. Satisfied, he set down his tea cup on the little table.

“Good.” He took her tea cup from her and set it on the table beside his.

“What are you?” She started but his mouth covered hers and he leaned forward laying her back on her couch as he kissed her.

Sakura closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch as his hands came up tickling her sides. She laughed and he smiled into their kiss.

Knock. Knock.

Sakura huffed. “This had better be important.” She growled, she could hear Shikaku laughing behind her as she walked to the door.

Sakura pulled the door open, her anger evaporating as she looked into the flustered face of Kushina Uzumaki.

“Kushina, hey, how are you?” Sakura stood back to let the woman in.

“Sakura! I’m so glad you’re home. I need to talk to you, it’s about Minato, this morning when…” She stopped, she hadn’t seen Shikaku.

“Oh! I’m so sorry Sakura. I didn’t know you had company. I can come back later.” Kushina headed for the door but Shikaku stopped her.

“Kushina, it’s okay I have to go anyway, this saves me from cutting off what we were doing with um...an awkward goodbye.” He grinned at the two women, Sakura blushed and Kushina started to laugh.

“I'll just um get myself some tea then, while you say goodbye.” Kushina winked at Sakura who blushed again.

Shikaku kissed Sakura gently and whispered into her ear, “I’ll pick you up for the festival tomorrow at six pm, we can get something to eat together and then maybe watch the fireworks like we had planned?” 

She nodded and smiled at him. “I can’t wait.” Springing up on her tippy toes she kissed him quickly but his arms shot out and pulled her up to his chest and kissed her longer parting her lips with his tongue and leaving her breathless before smiling as he ducked his head out the door and left.

Sakura bit her lip and was still smiling when she turned back to Kushina who had been watching them the whole time.

“Uh.” Sakura stammered, “Sorry about that.”

“It looks like you two are really hitting it off huh?” Kushina was still smiling at her friend.

“Yeah, I think we are.” Sakura hadn’t stopped smiling as she refilled her tea cup and sat down on her couch beside Kushina.

“So, sorry, you said you wanted to talk to me about Minato?” Sakura’s heart skipped a beat, did she know they had kissed?

“I think he likes you. I saw you two when you got back this morning from your mission, and heard you talking about what happened on your mission. He likes you but from what I’ve seen, you don’t like him, you like Shikaku and I just need to make sure you don’t like Minato right?” Kushina said in a rush without taking a breath.

Sakura blinked. So, she didn’t know they had kissed. Good, it didn’t mean anything anyway.

“Kushina, I don’t like Minato romanticly, surely Shikaku being there and uh, what you saw, you must know I like him. Something did happen on our mission, but it isn’t what you think, we found out some very sensitive information that I had to relay to the Hokage, there is nothing to worry about, and for the record, I doubt Minato likes me in the way you are worried about.” Sakura tried to assure the woman that the interaction she had witnessed was innocent.

It hadn’t been but there was no need to worry the woman over an accident. Sakura fully believed it had been situational, the stress of the situation for both of them. She was sure Minato loved Kushina, that they were going to get married, have Naruto and everything would be just fine.

Sakura patted Kushina’s hand, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be alright.”

“Oh thank goodness, I was worried for a memnet but then yes, I saw the way you and Shikaku looked at one another and well, okay I’m so sorry. I just, Minato is...he’s so important to me ya know?” Kushina blustered.

“I know, you don’t need to worry about anything, he loves you, I know these things.” Sakura smiled at her friend.

“So,” Kushina winked at Sakura, “You and the Nara heir huh? Yoshino is going to be soooo jealous, she has had her eye on him since our academy days.” Kushina giggled.

“She has?” Guilt consumed her, damn.

“Yeah but things happen, it’s not like you stole him from her or anything. You were both single and he asked you out, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Kushina patted her on her arm.

Sakura thought about what Kushina had said, rolling it around in her head.

“Do you think that maybe there is someone out there for everyone and that no matter what world they are in, they are supposed to be together? Like soul mates?” Sakura asked hesitantly.

“Maybe, I mean, I’m not into that red string of fate deal but I think that someone people are predestined to meet and fall in love. If those are soulmates then yeah I guess I believe in soulmates but I also think that people can be compatible and love and respect one another too. It doesn’t have to be like an asteroid BAM! Hit you with love you know?” Kushina smiled.

“Why, are you in love with Shikaku?” Kushina leaned forward in her seat looking so much like Ino with that ‘eager for gossip’ look on her face that Sakura laughed.

“Uh, it’s a little too soon for that but I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before.” Sakura said honestly.

“I thought I was in love once but I realize now it was just an infatuation and I was just being young and stupid, it wasn’t love.” She admitted.

“Are you still friends at least?” Kushina asked as she added a spoonful of sugar to her tea and stirred it.

“No, he’s...gone.” Sakura said honestly.

“We made up before he died at least.” She smiled ruefully.

“Oh Sakura, I’m sorry, I’m so tactless.” Kushina set her cup down and hugged her friend tightly.

“It’s okay, it’s just, kinda complicated is all, don’t worry.” Sakura smiled at her friend as her long red hair tickled her nose and she tried hard not to sneeze.

They broke away from their embrace laughing at one another.

“Don’t worry about MInato, Kushina. Men act weird when they really start to like a woman I’ve noticed.” Sakura laughed thinking of Sai and Ino but of course Sai was just weird period.

“I hope so, I really like him, I meant it when I told you I think I’m falling in love with him.” She smiled.

“He’s a good man, trust him.” Sakura said confidently.

Kushina nodded and drank her tea. The two women spent the rest of the afternoon speaking of lighter things.

“Sasori Sama, the woman was clearly an elite Jounin, we didn’t stand a chance against her, please have mercy!” The Sand nin cried out as the needle was shoved farther into his stomach.

“Your cries have no effect on me and your pathetic excuses even less.” The red headed teen stood over his work table pulling the needle out of the man’s stomach with care as not to mar the skin.

“You should thank me. In death you will be far more brave and infinitely more useful to the world than when you were living. You have your magnet style to thank for my generosity.” Sasori moved to the foot of the table and made two small incisions in the man’s ankles.

“Now be still, the drug will take effect soon. I need to drain you of your offending blood so I can dry your carcass and prepare it for my next puppet.” Sasori didn’t bother to look the man in the eye, a pointless gesture of respect.

Closing the door to his ‘cleaning’ room, Saori made his way to the far end of his hidden cave and ran his hands over the man’s clothes feeling for any remnants of the woman’s chakra the nin had spoken of. 

“There.” Sasori hummed as he felt his way around the collar and sleeve.

“Such a light and airy chakra.” He said to himself.

His thoughts wandered as he felt his way around her chakra. Faster than the Yellow Flash, he had said, monstrous strength that could punch craters into the ground and explode boulders, pink hair and green eyes...he knew he had to find this woman.

Sasori lifted her chakra from the dead nin’s clothes and sealed it into a vial tucking it into his pouch at his waist. He would finish this puppet and then, he would look for the woman and see for himself just how formidable she was. He might want to add her to his collection if she was as strong and beautiful as his living puppet had claimed she was.

Madara’s head snapped up in alarm as he felt the air around him change. A low growl of hatred erupted from his throat as the man stepped out from behind the treeline.

“Madara. What a pleasant dimension you’ve found.” Minato Namikaze smiled pleasantly at the Uchiha.

“Namikaze. I’m surprised you followed me this far. I would have thought you would have preferred to stay in the last dimension with your little flower.” Madara scowled at the man.

“No need to be like that Uchiha. We both fought for her and I won. No hard feelings.” Minato sat down beside him on the rock.

“You didn’t win, you tricked her.” Madara growled.

“Same thing and you know it.” Minato smirked.

“Then why aren’t you with her, why come here?” Madara hated this man more than any one of him he had come across before.

“Bored. She was too accommodating, you know I like it when they struggled, I like a little fight in them.” Minato licked his lips, it made Madara sick.

“She was delicate, that one, she was innocent.” He said.

“She was weak, and I no longer have a use for her now that I’ve broken her. Let that sap of Nara have what’s left of her.” Minato scoffed.

“Hn.” Madara replied.

“So, have you found her here yet?” Minato asked, watching the Uchiha with interest.

“Not yet. I didn’t come here for her this time, not after what happened in the last dimension. This time I came looking for my little brother. It seems I over shot the time frame though.” Madara spoke easily through the lie, he had to...to protect her from the monster beside him.

“Hum, pity. So we aren’t even in the right time for her, typical hum.” Minato looked disappointed.

“No, I saw no evidence of her being here. I was just about to move on myself now that I know Izuna isn’t here.” Madara stood and started to walk away from the blonde.

“So you don’t mind if I take a look around then do you?” Minato rose from his seat and stretched.

“Be my guest.” Madara groaned internally and flickered away to the cave behind the waterfall in the Valley of the End suppressing his chakra with seals and protection jutsu.

‘Fucking thorn’, he paced back and forth in the cave thinking hard. He had to protect her, warn her or maybe this Minato in this time, he didn’t seem all that bad like the others, like the one who had just arrived. He thought he had more time. 

‘This Sakura is different though’, he reminded himself. ‘She can be vulnerable though’, he remembered the boy Obito she had healed when he had first sensed her chakra.

It had been over a decade ago that he had met ‘that’ Minato. He had finally found her again, only to lose her to that man, who had used her and then thrown her away. He had tried to heal her, tried to be there for her and love her like he had loved his Sakura, the one who had died in the first war in his own time, but she had been too far gone. The blonde monster had broken her and left her soul a lifeless void.

The monster had flashed in and out of his sight for the next ten years. Sometimes Madara would find her first, sometimes second, but always, always it had been too late once ‘that’ man had gotten involved. He was like a plague, spreading lies and manipulation wherever he went.

This time though, this time it was different. She was different. She had traveled to this dimension, she hadn’t been found. She was stronger than any of the other ‘ones’, he had found before her and she had the Nine tails chakra in her, he could feel it. Another significant difference was she had already met the Minato of this time and had a ‘relationship’ or standing with him that predated ‘that’ Minato’s invasion into her life.

“It will be different this time.” Madara reminded himself. This time, he would protect her, he would help her and make sure she didn’t break and then, if she wanted to, he would take her with him, to find Izuna.

Madara stood in the mouth of the cave and his tomes spun in his eyes. He looked past the falling water to the lake beyond, through the woods to Konoha. He could see her sitting on her couch with the red head Kushina talking and laughing, he smiled.

“Sakura.” His Sakura. 

It had been two decades since the First Shinobi war where he had lost her. They had just been married, Konoha had recently been founded and they had gone to war, together. She was a medic and was in the medical tents with her team when the camp had been over run with enemy nin. They had all heard the wife of the Uchiha had pink hair. She was killed first and brutally.

He had wiped the battlefield of life in his grief, friend and foe alike and had collapsed soon after falling into a deep sleep where he had been visited by the Rabbit goddess who had offered him a scroll, a contract scroll to find her again, to find his happiness.

She had called him Indra, had kissed his forehead and he had woken up to blood and shouting. He had sat up to see his brother Izuna standing over him fighting off enemy shinobi left and right who tried to kill him while he had laid unconscious. He had felt the splash of hot metallic sweetness cover his face and had seen his little brother Izuna stumble, look back over his shoulder at him, smile, then fall to the ground dead.

Madara had awakened his Eternal Mangekyou that day and buried both his wife and his little brother side by side after taking Izuna’s eyes and sealing them away.

The next day he had left Konoha, left Hashirama the village they had dreamed of together from the time of their childhood and traveled to the next dimension to find his wife and his little brother, to find his happiness again.

Quickly he learned that each dimension was either a little different or vastly different. He had traveled to many where he was the bad guy, where he was considered a saint, where he had died before the age of ten… In some of them, though it was more rare, Sakura hadn’t been born at all, or had been born into a different timeline. In others, she was his sister or mother. He had left those quickly.

In one...that almost broke his heart, she had married his little brother Izuna and was happy. Then ten years ago he had met ‘that’ Minato and realized that he too was a dimensional jumper, that he too was looking for his Sakura. The man was absolutely vile he learned quickly, he only wanted her for her special chakra, he would manipulate, charm and seduce her until she gave him what he wanted and then he would either kill her or leave her, for another her in a different dimension.

Many times their paths had crossed and many times they had fought and battled, and every time Madara had won. However, there was a clause in the contract, one dimensional traveler can not take the life of another dimensional traveler. 

Madara smiled to himself. Sakura had a contract now, at least the blonde monster wouldn’t be able to kill this one of ‘her’. It was just another way she was different from the rest, and he took it as a sign, a sign that he had finally found the one he was meant to be with, his soulmate.


	15. Chapter 15

Sakura smiled as she washed the mugs and dried them. She had enjoyed spending the afternoon talking with Kushina.

She looked out her window for the second time in the last thirty minutes. She could swear someone was watching her but she couldn’t find anything or anyone out of place. Minato told her he had placed a protection seal over the whole building, she shook her head and laughed, she was just being silly. The only one who could possibly see through the seal was Minato, and he always just knocked on her door or flashed into her apartment.

Sakura walked over to his formula, burned into her floor and kicked at it. She wished there was a way to remove the damn thing but she knew there wasn’t, it was literally there forever. She groaned and stretched her arms above her head.

She looked out her window again, it wasn’t that late and the weather was nice. She smiled, tied her pouches to her belt and grabbed her bag. She pulled her boots on and grabbed her sword that was by the door and went outside to find a secluded training ground for the rest of the afternoon.

All the training grounds had been occupied so she ran along the river to the outskirts of the forest. There was a spot there that had been her favorite when she had been younger in her own time and hoped that it was the same here in this one.

Sakura smiled as she stepped out of the dense forest and into the open clearing by the river. “Perfect.”

She pulled her short sword from her back and stepped into a basic kodachi kata to warm up, moving swiftly into the intermediate kata and then the advanced. She felt him before she saw him and stepped into the Anbu kata forms without missing a heartbeat.

With her right leg extended from her waist and her sword held parallel with her left thigh she swung up, flipped and dropped to the ground in a perfect U block to Madara’s longsword that had come from the left.

“So nice to see you again dear.” Madara smirked at her block and pulled his sword back with a quick up swing of his forearm.

“Madara, here to resume our conversation I assume?” She spun and kicked out to the left, he grinned and jumped back avoiding her strike.

“We can talk as we dance if you like love.” His eyes spun red as he tracked her movements.

“Eternal Mangekyo, I am impressed.” She said honestly.

“Impressed already dear? We’ve only just begun.” He bowed to her from the waist and made a show of cocking his sword at her playfully.

Sakura laughed, caught off guard by his flirtatious attitude.

“Allow me to set up a barrier while we dance?” He offered, his voice more serious.

“A barrier or a trap, I don’t trust you .” She said, her feet planted two feet apart and her sword raised in her right hand behind her shoulder ready to run and strike or jump to defend.

“I don’t want us to be interrupted and some of my moves are a bit...noticeable and so are yours if I recall dear.” He said simply.

“You’ve never seen me…....you’ve been watching me haven’t you.” She frowned at him.

“Many times in many different realities.” He nodded.

“What do you mean?” She asked her sword dropping to her side.

“Allow me to seal off the area first, you never know who’s watching or listening.” He insisted and smiled at her nod.

He drew two kunai from his pouch with sealing tags and threw one in front of him and one behind him, then withdrew two more and threw one right and one left.

He made the hand signs and his chakra flared, she felt the sealing walls fall down around her at a great distance. Her eyes widened.

“How much, my gosh, how far did you seal, I mean, that is incredible.” She sent her chakra out and around them and felt for the barrier walls, he had sealed off one square mile, she was amazed.

Madara shrugged ignoring her compliment. “It is necessary.”

Sakura looked back at him, there was something different in his eyes, something she hadn’t noticed before when they had met. She cocked her head to the side and he laughed.

“You’re thinking, what is it you’re thinking dear?” He smiled at her and she was startled by the genuine interest in his voice.

“What do you mean you’ve been watching me many times in many different realities?” she asked him, her sword still in her hand.

“You are not the first Sakura I have met. I have met many, in many different dimensions before this one.” He said seriously.

Sakura stared at him.

“You are different in every dimension, some you haven’t been born in yet, others, you had already died before I had gotten there.” He told her.

“The way you look, your voice though, that is always the same, no matter which dimension I find you in. This one however, you found me. I didn’t need to go looking for you.” He smiled at her.

“You look for me in these other worlds? Why?” She asked suspiciously.

Madara didn’t answer her right away. Instead he took in her short breath, her offensive stance and her narrowed eyes. ‘She isn’t ready for the truth yet’, he told himself. He had made the mistake of going up to her other selves in the beginning and telling them the truth right away and it had ended horribly. He needed to take his time with this one, he could tell she would be worth it, he knew this was the one for him.

“I am not the one you should be wary of my dear. You should be wary of Namikaze, and not the one from this time, but one from another time, a much darker much more sinister Namikaze who has been jumping dimensions collecting your chakra.” Madara planted the seed of doubt in her head for her own protection.

“It is imperative that you understand they look exactly alike, talk alike and might act alike for a time. You have had the good fortune to meet this timeline's original Minato first, remember everything you can about the man, that way you will be able to tell the difference between the two.” He advised.

“Why do you care? Why warn me, and how do I know it isn’t you I should be worried about, maybe you’re lying and this second Minato is really here to help me and protect me against you?” She countered.

“You don’t know and I know from my past experiences with your stronger versions, that I won’t be able to convince you either.” He smiled at her.

“You will see for yourself, eventually his true nature will be revealed. I want to make sure you’re ready when that time comes.” Madara raised his sword arm and pointed the blade at her.

“...and to do that, you need to keep training.” He grinned at her.

“Let’s dance love.” He was so fast she almost didn’t get her own blade up in time to block his attack.

“Shit.” She exhaled, her eyes wide.

“Don’t let your guard down dear, he is the Yellow Flash, no matter what dimension he is in...do not let your guard down, remember that.” He leapt back and away from her in a red blur.

“Fire style, Fireball jutsu!” A flame larger than any she had seen since the battle of the last flew at her head and she flicked to the left and then the right to avoid it’s first, then secondary blow.

“Are you trying to kill me?” She growled patting the flames from the end of her sash.

“Never dear, I’m trying to ensure you survive.” He didn’t smile, he didn’t smirk, his eyes bore into hers with such intensity she opened her mouth but closed it cutting her next words off in her own mouth.

“I can’t tell you everything right now dear, but I promise, I will, in time. Just know...I am not your enemy.” He said with the slightest hint of sadness in his tone that made her eyes soften.

Sakura nodded.

“Again.” He said softly and sent three kunai at her throat.

Sakura flickered left then up over his head, he stepped easily to the side avoiding her killing blow to the top of his head and she dropped to the ground where he had stood moments ago.

“You move without using the formula like Tobirama or Namikaze.” He observed out loud.

“Having to use a formula limits your movement to be numbered and thus limited positions and points. With the body flicker I can visualize where I want to be and bend the space with my chakra to carry my body there instantly.” She said moving quickly and punching a hole into the ground at his feet, one right after another moving him back and back closer to the wire trap she had set up.

Madara smiled at her and she narrowed her eyes.

“Did you really think I didn’t see what you were doing?” He tapped the side of his face by his glowing red eyes.

“I see everything love. I saw you before you had even decided to lay that trap for me. I know you dear, you can’t get anything past me.” He smirked and ducked her fist that she had intended for his face.

“Do you know Wind nature here?” He asked her.

“Wind? No. I don’t have an affinity for Wind.” She looked at him a bit confused and he smiled again.

He couldn’t help but smile around her, he was so pleased just to be close to her again after so long, after looking and finding mere stand ins as he called them. She was the first since his own Sakura that had been able to spar with him like this and he had to admit he was enjoying himself greatly.

“You have a very minor Wind affinity, I suggest you try to hone that ability to your advantage.” He ran at her arm stretched at his side, long sword bent back at a right angle.

“Impossible.” She grunted as she blocked his attack with her own chakra infused blade.

“The only limits we have are those we set for ourselves.” He whispered in her ear as he slid around to her back, rolling his body against hers to avoid her blade as it slid against his.

“Whoever said that was an idiot.” She scowled.

“You said that to me dear, the second time we sparred together in my original time.” He laughed at her open mouthed expression.

“You knew me in your original time?” She asked curiously.

Madara sheathed his sword and nodded his head. Sakura sheathed her own sword and stood facing him, looking at him, the curious expression still on her face. Madara smiled.

“You were strong then but I think, you’re even stronger now.” He complimented her.

“You’re so different from the Madara Uchiha I knew, from my original time.” She said cautiously.

“I have an idea as to how different I was. I have been to worlds where I was...a terrible person.” He replied quietly.

“Terrible, yes...more like terrifying really but in the end I think...you regretted your actions.” She tapped her finger on her top lips as she thought of her next words.

“I think you were just very very lonely and sad. Your actions were crazy and mad to the open eye but…” She paused.

“I think that deep down, you were just in a great deal of pain, pain you never found closure for, so you sought...you embraced a dream that wasn’t real, you were just searching for your own happiness.” She concluded.

Sakura looked up at him. His expression was hard for her to read.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just that…” She started.

“No.” He cut off her apology.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” He waved her words away.

“You’re not completely wrong. I am not the Madara from your time but...in my time I lost so much I can see how I would think that a dream world where I have everything I want would be preferable to reality.” He said quietly.

“In your original time you didn’t do that though, instead you chose to travel through dimensions looking for...what are you looking for?” She asked him.

Madara took two unconscious steps toward her, his hand lifted from his side and he grasped his fingers together and stopped himself from reaching out to her completely.

“I lost two people in my time in one day. Two very important people to me and I’m looking for a world where I can have both of them back...beside me.” His hand fell back at his side and he closed his eyes as though willing his pain down.

“You’re looking for your happiness.” She said.

“Only this you, isn’t willing to sacrifice the entire world’s happiness to get it.” She smiled at him, a real smile.

“She would never forgive me if I did something like that for her.” He looked away from her then and sat down on a large rock by the river.

“She?” Sakura asked him, walking closer.

“My wife.” He whispered, closing his eyes.

“In my time you never married.” She said standing beside him now looking out over the water.

“In your time, she was born almost two generations after me.” He said.

“It’s strange don’t you think, how different the dimensions can be from one another, everything you’ve told me tells me this is so.” She said thoughtfully.

“Strange is not the word I would use. I would refer to it as a nightmare, because everyone looks the same, but they may act completely different. A person you knew to be honest, hard working and honorable, could be the worst scum of the Earth in one dimension versus another.” He said sadly.

“So everytime you travel, it’s like a lottery, you never know what you will find?” She asked him.

“Essentially, yes. There are some travel scrolls that allow you to steer, but I have yet to find one with such a clause in it.” He said honestly.

Sakura’s heart thumped in her chest. She had one…

Madara had noticed the change in her breathing, “What is it?” he asked her.

“Is that how you travel, by this travel scroll then?” She asked and he nodded.

“So you have a travel contract like me.” She said out loud but mostly to herself though she knew he had heard her.

“Yes, and so does this other Namikaze. There is something you should know, a traveler under contract can not kill another traveler who also has a contract. That is very important and essential.” He looked at her, she was biting her bottom lip and he smiled.

“Kill, you mean, he would kill me, or try to?” She asked, surprised at the thought.

“He has, in other dimensions, but you’re under contract so he can’t kill you this time, this you.” He pointed out.

“Or you, or you him.” She added onto his statement.

Madara nodded. “Exactly.”

“Why though, why would he kill me?” She asked Madara.

Madara gave her an odd sort of look. “Your chakra of course.”

“My chakra?” She asked him confused, “There’s nothing special about my chakra.” She said, frowning at him.

“That’s where you’re so very wrong my dear. Your chakra is unique. Haven’t you ever wondered how you can maintain such precise control over it and store large quantities of it in your Yin seal?” He poked her purple diamond on her forehead with two fingers.

She blinked.

“No.” She said honestly.

Madara laughed, it was that same deep masculine laugh like before and it made her smile. He really was an attractive man she thought to herself and blushed.

“How do you know about my Yin seal?” She demanded with her hands on her hips.

Madara laughed again and tapped her on the nose. “I told you, I’ve met you many times before love.”

“It sounds more like you knew me in one of these dimensions and knew me well.” She complained.

His face underwent the strangest emotion she had ever seen. He went comically blank in his features, then sad, then blank again in an instant.

“You did, didn’t you?” She moved to stand in front of him leaning down to look into his eyes.

“I can show you.” He held out his hand to her palm up.

Sakura looked down at his palm and then to his eyes. She didn’t quite trust him even if he hadn’t seriously attacked her yet.

“If I wanted to kill you I would have already. I wouldn’t have bothered sparring with you first.” He said sarcastically.

“You said you can’t kill me, because I have immunity under my travel contract.” She smirked.

“Exactly, so stop hesitating and place your hand in mine.” He said impatiently.

“Just because you can’t kill me doesn’t mean you can’t hurt me, or try to manipulate me.” She glared at him.

“True, good girl.” He smiled at her. “But I’m not going to hurt you and I am not manipulating you.”

Sakura looked into his eyes, he looked back at her without blinking. His eyes were a dark coal, and obsidian black, they were beautiful and dangerous looking. She swallowed lightly and very slowly raised her hand and placed it over his. 

Madara closed his eyes. Her hand was soft and warm...and so tiny, just like he remembered it to be.

“Sakura.” 

He said her name with such strangled emotion and longing it made her toes curl.

“Madara.” She said his name softly and a small shiver went through her when he opened his eyes again and looked into her green ones.

“You wanted to know how I knew you, why I know so much about you, you want to know who you were to me?” He asked her again to make sure she knew what she was asking for.

She nodded, her eyes locked onto his, and he smiled.

“Then I’ll show you love.” His eyes spun red and his chakra pulsed from his palm into hers.

Just as soon as it had begun the pulsation stopped. Sakura looked down at their hands, they were glowing a greenish red.

“Be patient dear. The memories of your other self will come to you a little at a time. If I pulled you into my sharingan, you might go into shock.” He said.

“But.” She started to protest.

“Our connection is strong, be patient, it will come.” Madara cupped her cheek with his free hand and tilted her head back to look into her eyes more easily.

“When you see everything, when you understand why I am doing what I am, come find me in the cave behind the waterfall in the Valley of the End.” he rubbed his thumb over her cheek.

“I’ll be waiting for you.” He let his hand drop from her cheek and pulled his hand from hers.

“Remember what I said about the ‘other’ Namikaze. Be careful of him, he is not the Minato you know from your time, or even this one.” He made the hand signs in a blur and released the seals.

“If you need me, call for me and I will come. We are connected, not just you and I but all of our other selves.” He smiled at her.

“How?” She asked, reaching out for him as he started to walk away.

Madara didn’t answer her, he just smiled a soft smile for her and flickered away. She felt his chakra stop at the cave in the Valley of the End and then disappear again, presumably behind his barrier seal.

Sakura stood there looking toward the Valley, her heart racing in her chest. She looked down at her hand where he had held it in his, she could still feel his warmth on her skin, his chakra and she smiled.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonds are made, both good and bad.

He watched the barrier fall around them, he saw them speaking to one another, their hands had been joined for a brief moment before he had disappeared. A silent growl vibrated in his throat as a soft smile spread slowly across her lips to the corners of her mouth.

“Madara.” The name was a curse upon his lips, he ought to have known the man would be trouble…

Minato watched as Sakura walked around the clearing picking her kunai up from the ground, pulled them from the trees and dove into the river to collect them from the bottom. She hopped up onto the water’s surface and walked back to the bank, water dripping from her face and hair. He watched her pull her shirt off and over her head, her chest wraps preserving her modesty.

She draped her wet shirt over a bush to dry and went into the nearby woods to gather firewood. He watched as she set her fire pit up and walked back to the edge of the river. She was making a camp, he realized, but why?

Sakura walked to the water’s edge again and infused her hands with chakra. Humming a bit to herself she relaxed her arms and lowered her center of gravity. She had practiced this in her time alone after the war but had yet to perfect the technique. Madara’s words flowed over her like the water over the rocks before her and she could find the wisdom in what he had said.

So, she took a deep breath and with her chakra pushed to the ends of her fingers she shot her chakra strings out into the water, like she had seen Sasori do so many times during their last battle, and pulled two fish from the river for her dinner.

Sakura looked down at her hands. Her chakra was different again, was it because of Madara, had he infused his chakra into her own instead of just letting it encase her hand? How would that bring her visions? How would any of this help her? She cleaned her fish quickly and set them to cook by the fire on sticks.

Green eyes watched the flickering flames as she tried to sort out the many fragmented thoughts in her head. Night fell around her, she knew she ought to get back to her apartment or the village at the very least but she loathed the thought of being around people at that moment, and stayed.

Her logic was split. She knew Madara wasn’t telling her everything, but he had told her that. He was being honest. Part of her wanted to trust him, to believe him, yet, another part screamed at her for entertaining such ridiculous ideas. She pulled her knees up closer to her chest and stared into her fire, eyes flickering upward every now and again catching sight of a fly away spark.

She tilted her head back and looked at the moon, it was nearly full. Tomorrow she thought, for the festival, there would be a full moon. Her thoughts traveled to Shikaku. He was a good man, she knew. In this time and in hers. It was hard to imagine a world where he wasn’t a good man. That was the problem though, she frowned. It is what Madara had said, had tried to drill into her, in what she realized now was a gentle manner. People are not what they seem, be it her first impression or how she remembered them from her time.

Sakura looked up at the stars and wondered, ‘Are these stars the same or are they different as well...does that star there shine more brightly in my time than it does in this one, or is it all relative, does it not matter because there are so many, if one shines brighter than the rest…’

“It does matter.” She said to herself.

“It must matter.” She changed her own words and said them outloud to consider them more openly.

“If it didn’t matter, then it wouldn’t matter if we were here or not.” She concluded and nodded to herself.

Minato sat with his back against a tree and listened to her words. ‘Yes Sakura, it matters’, he thought.

Her hand reached out and turned her fish, she had felt the air change around her, it was...charged with an unfamiliar energy. She stood and looked out over the woods, the water then back at her fire.

He stood across from her, his blue eyes flickered almost orange in the firelight and she took a step back, he grinned.

“Good evening Sakura, may I join you?” Minato asked politely.

“How long were you watching me before you chose to show yourself Minato?” She asked, her eyes narrowed. ‘Which one, which one is he?’

“Not long. I thought you were going to go back to the village but once I saw you were staying, I thought I would join you. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” He smiled at her, his eyes creasing slightly.

Sakura stood still, taking in his breathing, his pulse in the side of his neck, his scent. He watched her with unblinking eyes, his lips curved to one side, smirking.

“You can catch your own fish, those are mine but you’re welcome to share my fire.” She gestured to her fire and sat back down.

Minato nodded to her and walked over to the river pulling two kunai from his pouch. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He watched and waited, then like the Yellow Flash he was, flickered to the other side of the river with two fish impaled on one kunai in his hand, then flickered back to sit beside her by the fire.

Sakura turned her fish again and watched as he cleaned his own fish and set them to cook by the fire. He seemed the same, his movements, his manner of speech, but Madara had told her he would be exactly the same and to remember the little details of the Minato she had met first here. She bit her lip in concentration.

The wind had picked up a little, her eyes followed two leaves dancing across the clearing when she felt him move beside her. She pulled her blade from it’s sheath on her back, feet set firmly apart in a defensive stance, several feet away from him.

Minato blinked in surprise. “Uh, sorry...I was just going to tuck that lock of hair behind your ear, the wind blew it into your face, I didn’t think you noticed so deep in thought that you were.” He grinned at her.

“It’s nice to see you weren’t so distracted that your reflexes failed you, I forget how quickly you can move sometimes.” He turned his fish and smiled easily at her.

Sakura stood ridgid, her hands grasping her sword. ‘Which one, which one is he?’, she didn’t know. She wasn’t sure. Was Madara doing this on purpose, was this part of his plan to make her second guess everyone around her? Why though, why would he do that, that theory didn’t make any more sense than the other ones that had popped into her head since he had left her after their spar.

“Are you going to stand there all night? Our fish is done.” He looked at her with one blonde brow quirked up at her looking at her like she was coming unhinged.

She sheathed her sword and dropped back down beside him. He continued to smile at her, reaching out to turn his own fish once more.

“So, you want to tell me why you’re so jumpy and why you’re out here instead of in your apartment?” He looked at her curiously.

“I was training and got hungry so I decided to just camp out here for a bit and relax.” She took a bite of her fish and chewed slowly.

“Nervous about the festival tomorrow, you’re still going with Shikaku right?” He asked, pulling one of his skewered fish from the ground and blowing on it.

“Maybe.” She replied.

‘It’s the real one, or this world’s original right’, was she trying to convince herself or was she right?

“Kushina and I will probably see you there.” He said as he took a bite from his own fish and chewed noisily.

Sakura nodded. She didn’t want to give away too much information, she wanted him to provide the information so she could figure out which Minato he was. ‘Did the Minato of this time even know about the other one?’, she looked at the man sitting beside her, he had been watching her while he ate.

“What?” She asked him.

“Something is off about you. You’re acting differently. What’s wrong, did something happen?” He asked her, his hand moving to cover hers where it rested on her knee.

“Uh no, I just, have a lot to think about with everything that’s going on.” She tried to keep her answers vague.

“Is it Madara? I saw him here with you. I know he put up a barrier. Did he do something, say something to upset you?” Minato asked her inching closer to her side, his fingers trailing up her arm.

Sakura froze, she felt strange. Looking down she noticed his fingers trailing slowly up her arm and looked up to meet his eyes. He was...laughing at her in his head, she could see the amusement in his eyes, he was...her eyes closed, his fingers tightened around her arm and pulled her forward, she dropped her fish and her eyes snapped back open.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” She infused her palm with chakra and thrust her hand into his chest knocking him back and away from her, he slid across the clearing and fell into the river.

She made the hand signs, “Release!”

Sakura looked around, she wasn’t wearing her shirt, “Damn it.” She muttered and grabbed her shirt from the bush and pulled it over her head shivering slightly at the cold and wet.

Minato rose out of the water and flashed to her side, blade drawn. She ducked and dropped to the ground, rolled and shot off into the forest behind him toward the village. He was after her like a bolt of lightning. She side stepped his grab for her arm and flashed ahead, the last thing she saw was the look of surprise on his face.

‘The imposter’, she grunted, damn it, she had to be more careful. She had to find the real one of this time and talk to him right away.

She flashed to her apartment building and to his door and knocked hard.

Minato set his book down on his coffee table and walked to his door. It was getting late and he wondered who could possibly be at his door this late at night. He opened the door to see a wet and panting Sakura.

“Minato, where were we when we first met here, tell me now, where were we!” She gasped out, she had barely escaped.

“Uh, in the woods by the Kannabi bridge, I followed you there tracking your chakra signature from Obito’s ankle.” he looked at her confused as to why she would be asking such a thing, at such a late hour.

“Why are you wet?” He looked at her more carefully and saw dirt and grim along one side of her shirt and leg.

“Sakura are you…” 

She fell into his arms in relief. “It’s really you. Yokatta.” She gasped out as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Sakura, what the hell happened, are you okay? What’s going on?” He lifted her up into his arms and shut the door with his foot.

“I’m fine.” She protested after he had set her down on his bed on the other side of the room.

“You’re not, clearly something has upset you, you were practically breaking my door down. What happened?” He smoothed the wet hair back from her face.

“Why are you wet?” he asked her before she could answer his first question.

“I was in the river, he found me, he was there, I thought he was you.” she spoke so quickly he could barely understand her.

“Shh it’s okay, calm down just speak slowly, it will all come out just go slow, start at the beginning. Why were you at the river?” His blue eyes held hers and she sighed in relief.

“It’s you.” She smiled, his eyes, they were different, she could tell now that she was looking. 

This Minato’s eyes were softer, gentler, kinder. He looked at her, not into her like the other one had. 

“Of course it’s me.” He laughed.

“Who else would it be?” He smiled at her a little worried at her words. He had a bad feeling about this.

‘She came to you, she was scared and she ran to you’, the little voice in the back of his head said to him.

“I went to the river to train, all the training grounds were occupied so I went by myself and Madara was there he, we spared and he told me something, he said that there was another here, a traveler, another you.” She shivered.

The reality of the situation was finally starting to take a toll on her mind. This last addition to the mess she had found herself in was almost too much to take. A decent Madara was one thing, but a sinister possibly evil murderous Minato...was something that shook the foundation of her thinking, of her reality. She had already had time to ponder Madara and why he had done what he did in her time, but this...this evil Minato, she hadn’t had any time to process this, nor had she wanted to, it was just...it made her sick.

“Another me?” Minato asked, surprised.

“He attacked me, he tried to...I’m not sure what he was trying to do but he…” She turned away from him in his bed and put her hands in her face.

“Naruto, oh Naruto I’m so glad you didn’t live to see this.” She knew it wasn’t possible, she knew that she wouldn’t even be here in this time if he had lived, but the thought of him seeing his father in a possibly sinister light saddened her.

“What did he do to you?” Minato’s voice was low and threatening.

“I don’t know, he didn’t get a chance to do much thanks to Madara, if Madara hadn’t told me, hadn’t warned me…” She shivered at the thought.

“Madara told me he has killed me in other dimensions, that he takes my chakra, uses me and then...he kills them, me.” She started to shake.

Minato’s chakra exploded around him. His mind quickly working out the details she had left out. Madara had warned her, he knew, he knew more than he had told her Minato was certain of it. He had to talk to Madara, but later Sakura needed him right now. Minato laid down beside the woman in his bed and gathered her into his arms pulling her head down to his chest and laying on his back.

“Sleep Sakura. I’ll be here to watch over you, you’re safe here.” He whispered softly to the top of her head as he stroked her back with one hand and ran his fingers through her drying locks with the other.

“I’ll protect you, I promise.” He kissed the top of her head as she closed her eyes and sighed noisily over his chest.

Sakura wrapped one of her arms around his body and hugged him, grateful for his warmth, his friendship and his understanding. Her other hand fit snuggly up against her wet shirt, which reminded her that her clothes were wet and she was probably getting his bed wet.

She tried to pull back from him but he held her firm. “I’ll get you something to change into.” He rose from the bed and walked to his wardrobe, pulled out a set of jounin blues for her and waved a hand to the bathroom. 

“Go change. I’ll make some tea, and maybe we could talk a little more before bed.” He smiled at her.

“We need a word, or a sign. I don’t want to leave your side until I know for sure I have a way of knowing it’s really you when I get back. I know this is the real you now, but next time…” She stopped talking, she sounded crazy to herself.

Minato nodded in full understanding. “My formula, it will only work for me. Even if there are other dimensions with a ‘me’ in them, it only responds to my chakra signature and while I am sure all of my ‘selves’ chakra are similar, they will be different, even if only a little.”

“If you will allow me to mark you, you will always know for sure it is me, because I will be able to flash to your side, no matter where you are.” He walked toward her with his hand out.

“Mark me with your formula?” She hesitated.

“It’s the only sure way Sakura.” He waited, watching her.

She bit her lip and nodded slowly, “Okay but, promise you will only use it to prove it’s really you.” 

“I promise.” He smiled at her and she smiled nervously back.

“Ready?” He asked her.

“Ready.” She closed her eyes.

With his heart beating hard in his chest he placed his hand on the back of her neck and infused his palm with his chakra burning his formula into her skin down to the bone. Her eyes rolled beneath her lids and her breath went tight.

“It’s almost done.” He whispered close to her ear, his face brushing hers as he leaned into her.

His formula glowed blue on her skin and he smiled, now, she was his. 

Lifting her hair from her neck he wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her close, his one hand still on the back of her neck. He was done placing his formula on her but he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

Her chest rubbed up against his as he breathed in her scent, her hair tickled his nose as he ran his mouth over the crook of her neck.

“What are you doing?” She asked nervously.

“I have to seal it into your skin now.” He lied and kissed her neck, his tongue flicking over her skin.

“Your chakra, it’s so light Sakura.” He continued to push his chakra into her body through their connection, he had never felt anything so soothing, so pure.

“It’s what makes me a good healer.” She said nervously. He was so close and she swore he had kissed her.

“Will it be much longer Minato?” She laughed nervously.

Minato closed his eyes and kissed her one more time before drawing back and away from her. 

“Almost done.” He said, looking into her green eyes, facing her once again.

Slowly he withdrew his hand from behind her neck, his chakra faded from his palm and they stood there looking at one another, each refusing to look away and acknowledge the strange connection they felt pulsating between them.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 5:36 am and I haven't gone to bed yet...so this might not read as well as I think it does, lol...let me know.

“I’ll go change.” Sakura turned away from Minato’s gaze, dropping her eyes to the floor first.

“Okay.” He said mechanically, his fingers were still tingling from where he had touched her with his chakra palm.

She blushed as she grabbed his clothes from the bed and walked to his bathroom shutting the door behind her.

Minato spun on his heel and looked toward his bathroom door. He had felt it, he knew he had, he had felt her intent, her desire through their chakra connection, she wanted him. His fingers twitched at his side and he curled them into a fist. ‘Why was she resisting him then?’, he didn’t understand.

Sakura leaned her head back up against his bathroom door and let out the breath she had been holding. What was this feeling, his chakra had seeping into her little by little, it had been warm and it made her lightheaded, it made her skin burn with heat and tingle where he had touched her. She shivered and bit her bottom lip.

Naruto had never made her feel like this, whatever this was. Minato was...he was MInato and so much more...something. He had something that Naruto had never had, he made her feel...she shook her head, why was she comparing them, they were different, if not different people different than the ones of her time surely.

Her thoughts stopped any feelings of warmth Minato had provoked when she thought of the other Minato. Her arm had tingled at his touch as well, but not in the same way, his touch was...dangerous and ominous, it felt like death and blood. She could still feel his eyes on her, looking into her soul. She shivered.

Two men, who looked exactly alike, their voices were the same, their mannerisms so similar and yet their touches provoked completely different responses from her.

She pulled her clothes from her body and pulled Minato’s shirt and pants on, tying the pants loosely at the waist. Maybe she could ask him if she could sleep on his couch tonight, she was loath to admit it but she really didn’t want to be alone right now.

She wondered what Madara was doing right now, was he in the cave at the Valley of the End waiting for her? She hadn’t had any visions, she bit her lip, it hadn’t been that long though had it, she hummed to herself opening the door to the bathroom and walking out into Minato’s studio apartment.

All thoughts of Madara left her head as she looked into the room to see Minato sitting on the couch, a cup of tea in one hand and his other arm draped over the back of the couch, his eyes found hers and watched her approach. His gaze moved over her body in the most intrusive fashion that made her face feel hot and her abdomen fill up with twisted heat. She bit her bottom lip again quite subconsciously. His eyes darted to the motion and he licked his lips absently.

Minato turned his head to the bathroom door as it opened and watched Sakura step out into his living area, she looked really good in his clothes. They were big on her smaller frame and the shirt’s collar hung loose around her neck making her look even more delicate and fragile than she was.

He repressed the urge to smile as her face flamed red with embarrassment, she had seen the way he was looking at her. He didn’t care, he knew she wanted him. She bit her lip nervously which only proved to confirm his assumption. 

His tongue flickered out over his lips, he wanted to taste her, he wanted to rip his clothes off of her and spread her legs over the back of his couch and fuck her into the cushions hard. He closed his eyes as she sat beside him on the couch.

“Minato.” Her voice was soft and light like her chakra and he bit back the moan that had almost escaped his throat.

Minato opened his eyes and looked at her, “I made tea.” He gestured to the cup on the table in front of her, steam rising slowly over the lip to dance in the air before her.

“Thank you.” 

They sat in silence until she yawned. Her fingers slipped on the tea cup cradled in her lap. Minato rose from the couch and took her tea cup, setting it on the coffee table and helped her to his bed. “Get some rest. I’m going to put the cups away and clean the kitchen up a bit.”

Her eyes were already closed as she nodded and laid her head on his pillow. Minato stood over her looking down. Her hair fell over her shoulders and spread out across his covers. Her pastel pink strands glittered like silver and diamonds in the moonlight flooding over his bed through his window. “You’re so beautiful Sakura.” He bent down and kissed her cheek, she smiled.

He walked to his kitchen and washed their mugs, setting them on the rack to dry. He poured rice into the cooker and timed it for the morning. Taking four eggs from it’s basket in the refrigerator he set them in a bowl and placed them on the top shelf of the cooler for the morning. He would make her breakfast when they woke.

He brushed his teeth, washed his face and used the bathroom before lifting the covers to his bed and laying down next to her. Each action was deliberate, each task meant to draw his mind farther and farther from the temptation in his bed. He could have slept on the couch, he had planned to but...his feet moved toward the bed just as his arms wrapped around her on their own.

Minato sighed into the back of her neck. She had been sleeping on her side, her head now lay on his left arm instead of his pillow, his right arm draped over her waist, his hand playing with the ties of his pants that she wore. He bit his lip, he shouldn’t, but he wanted her so badly. 

‘She will wake up’, his mind warned him. ‘She wants you’, a different darker voice taunted him, teased him.

Minato closed his eyes as his hand slipped up her shirt, his shirt that she wore and palmed one of her breasts over her wraps. He exhaled into the back of her neck. He could barely see his formula on the back of her neck through the part in her hair. His lips moved her hair aside and he kissed the back of her neck where his formula would remain forever imprinted on her skin, in her bones. His hips twitched against her and his fingers tightened around her breast posessively.

She moaned, low and soft. His lip was bleeding he realized, he had nearly bitten it clean through in an attempt not to force her into submission underneath his dark desires.

Minato moved his hand over her breast, felt her nipple harden and rise against his palm and pushed his throbbing erection into her back. He stopped himself from doing it again, she would wake up, he reminded himself.

Pulling his hand from her breast he leaned back and lay beside her, she turned with him and lay on her back, her right hand at her side between them.

He pulled his left arm out from underneath her head and leaned on it propping his head up against it so he could look at her. Her lips were slightly parted, her breath soft and even. He could see her lashes flutter every now and then, was she dreaming, he wondered.

His fingers twined with her right hand and lifted it slowly above her head. Leaning over her he gently ran his tongue over her bottom lip. His breath caught in his chest when she moved up and against him, he closed his eyes, his left hand reaching for her right hand twining his fingers with her rising her hand to line up with her left over her head.

Minato gauged her reaction, her head turned in her sleep but her eyes were still closed. He unsealed his storage seal and pulled the chakra cuffs from his seal and snapped them around her wrists.

‘Just in case’, he told himself. ‘What are you doing’, a very small voice in the back of his head protested.

‘She wants me’, he reminded himself. 

Minato looked down at the woman conflicted. He wanted her so badly, he knew this wasn’t the right way to have her but...what if she denied him, what if she kept pulling away from him...he didn’t think he could stand it if she did that. 

He leaned over her body and opened the small drawer to his night stand pulling out a tiny vial of blue liquid. It was a new weapon the R&D had come up with, a prototype given to him to test out in the field. He hadn’t used it yet, not needing something like it to complete a mission, but for this...he tapped his hand on the cork considering the possibilities and wondered at his own self control. Could he stop himself, just shy of the act, could he take his pleasure from her body without...actually violating her?

Sakura moaned and tried to move her arms but they wouldn’t move, her eyes fluttered open to see Minato sitting beside her looking down at her.

“Minato?” She asked hesitantly.

His eyes snapped down to hers. He uncorked a vial and dipped his finger then swiftly, without remorse slipped his finger into her mouth. She gagged, then swallowed, her eyes wide and staring at him. He watched her, he saw the drug take effect, her eyes glazed over and her breathing calmed.

“What are you doing?” Her voice faded and her eyes closed once more.

Minato continued to look down at the woman and then looked at the vial in his hand. He had barely given her any, how long would it last? They had told them one drop, that’s all that's needed. He guessed there to be about one hundred dosages in the vial he held. He corked the vial and set it back in his drawer.

He moved off of his bed and stood beside it looking back down at Sakura. He snapped his fingers over her nose and waited. Nothing happened. A small smile spread over his handsome face. Slowly he took off his shirt and untied his pants, moving carefully in case the drug failed or it hadn’t been enough he climbed back onto the bed with her.

Unsnapping the chakra cuffs from her wrist he pulled his shirt over her head and watched as her hair fell down around her bare shoulders like silver and rose colored thread in the moonlight.

“You’re so beautiful Sakura.” he repeated his words from before, but louder now, over her lips as he untied the strings to the pants she wore.

The pants fell off the bed to the floor, falling next to the shirt she had been wearing. Two fingers tugged at the end of her chest wraps and pulled them loose, he pulled her up to his chest to unwrap the offending material, slowly, he exposed her breasts to his hungry eyes. She was even more beautiful than he had fantasized her to be. The wraps dropped to the floor as he laid her back down on his bed.

She lay naked before him, his eyes couldn’t seem to focus on any one part of her, his hands roamed over her body touching, feeling, grasping at her bare skin.

“Sakura.” He whispered into her ear and climbed on top of her, his hands running up her sides, around the slight curve of her breasts, up her neck, her face and into her hair gripping it tight, forcing her head back as he pulled her hair with his fists.

A small gasp made its way through her lips and he brushed his mouth over hers. ‘She’s sweet’, his head was light as his tongue explored her unresisting mouth, ‘So sweet’, he groaned into her mouth as he forced his tongue deeper into her throat. 

Minato gasped as his hips pressed his erection into the soft bare skin of her abdomen, he could feel his pre-cum seeping from his head onto her body and it thrilled him. Keeping one fist in her hair gripping her head hard he ran his other hand down lower to her waist. ‘Leave no marks’, he reminded himself. Pulling his mouth from hers he moved to her breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth, his eyes closed shut as he felt it harden at his attention.

He ground his hips into her with each suck of his lips on her nipple imagining how it would feel when he finally entered her sex. ‘She will be tight’, he moaned at his own thoughts releasing his hand in her hair and tugging at her other breast as he moved his body lower over her still form.

“Such a good girl.” He played out his fantasy, willing her compliance, pretending she was letting him do these things to her.

Moving off of her body and to the side he watched his own hand slide across her belly to the untouched space between her legs. He looked back up to her face as his fingers slid one by one over the entrance to her sex.

“Sakura, do you like that baby? Do you want me to touch you there?” He rested his forehead against her cheek and sucked on her neck gently.

His thumb passed back and forth over her clit, he could feel her getting wet around his hand and looked back up to her face. Her mouth was twitching and he wondered if she knew, if she knew who was touching her, and did she like it.

His eyes stayed on her face as he spread the lips of her sex and slid a finger inside of her.

“I knew you’d be tight.” He gasped into her neck, she moaned.

“Fuck Sakura, you’re so wet and hot, I knew you wanted me. I knew it.” He whispered over her lips.

“Say it, say you want me.” he demanded hotly, slipping another finger into her tight channel, his body rocking against hers.

Her lips moved but no words came out.

“Say it baby, ask me for it, beg me to fuck you and I will, beg me baby.” He said over and over again as he crushed his mouth over hers and thrust his fingers into her sex.

Her mouth opened to his and he blinked, she turned her head and her lips parted into a breathy sigh.

“Sakura?” he stilled his fingers and braced himself up on one side with an arm.

It was then he felt her move against his hand and a moan escaped her lips. “Minato.” She whispered quietly.

He broke.

His head dropped to her chest and his fingers began to move inside of her again, he sucked on her nipple hard and thurst his fingers deeper and deeper into her sex until...he swallowed hard, he had hit a barrier, he looked down at her face, her lips were moving again but she didn’t speak.

“You’re...a virgin?” he said with surprise.

He felt terrible. ‘You should have known’, that damned voice was back again. He knew he should have, she had never been on a date before, he was a fool.

‘We can be her first’, the other voice cooed in his head. He flicked his tongue out of his mouth wetting his lips.

‘We’re probably the first to touch her like this’, the voice persisted.

‘Take her now, she’ll never know’, his hand moved to his cock, it was throbbing and pulsating against her skin. He couldn’t remember being this hard before. Slowly he pulled his fingers from her and spread her legs open settling himself between them rubbing the head of his cock over her sex wetting himself on her arousal.

‘This is wrong’, the other voice stopped him from pressing himself into her.

He leaned over her, his weight on his right arm next to her head, his right hand holding his cock to her sex, her legs spread out before him, he grit his teeth.

“I can’t.” He fell on top of her, his cock sliding between her legs. He lay his head on her chest and breathed heavily against her breasts.

“Damn it, what’s wrong with me.” He looked up at her face and sighed.

“Maybe just a little bit.” He took his cock back in his left hand and spread her legs open again with his own leg positioning his cock at her entrance.

Looking down in between their bodies he slid his head into her sex and moaned out loudly, “fuck.”

He reluctantly pulled his head back out and then slid it back in just a little further. “So tight, she’s so fucking tight.”

She moved under him, her face twitched, “Stop.” she breathed out.

Minato stopped, had he heard her right?

“Minato, please.” she whispered.

“Sakura?” he called out to her questioningly.

“Please Minato.”

Minato watched her face as he pulled his head back out of her sex and lay beside her. His hand came up to stroke her sex, the other to wrap around his own cock.

“Please.” She whispered again.

He took her hand and wrapped it around his cock, then wrapped his hand over hers. “Pull Sakura, touch me, make me cum for you.” he started thrusting his cock into her hand faster and faster.

Her breath caught in her throat, he could hear it, saw her swallow, she was waking up.

“Fuck Sakura, I want you, I want to fuck you, I want to be inside of you, I want to feel your walls clenching around me as I make you scream and writhe underneath me.” He hissed as he came all over their joined hands.

“I want to dominate you, like you dominate my mind.” He said softly and kissed her cheek.

Sakura’s eyes fluttered open briefly and saw his blue eyes hovering over her, a look of uncensored hunger, lust and something else shone through them into her own eyes and she felt his chakra spike and swirl around them, drawing her closer to him through their connection. She felt the back of her neck where his formula burn and tingle. Was she dreaming? What was that warmth?

Her eyes closed again and she heard the sound of wood on wood, a small pop and then he was touching her lips, his finger sliding into her mouth, she sucked on his finger with a moan and she swallowed.

Minato corked the vial once again and placed it back in his drawer bedside the bed. His cock had twitched when she had voluntarily sucked on his finger. He wanted to cum in her mouth, her lips wrapped around his cock as he forced it down her throat...but he couldn’t, not yet.

“One more time Sakura, then you can rest. I promise to be much gentler this time.” he dropped down between her legs and lifted her ass up so her sex could meet his mouth.

A quick swipe of his tongue across her lips and she moaned for him. ‘Sweet’, he hummed into her sex, his tongue lapping and darting out around her center.

“I love you.” he whispered and thrust his tongue up inside of her running his teeth over her clit and his thumb over her ass.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay Dobby...let me know if this makes sense...

“Ugh.” She groaned. Her whole body felt stiff and her muscles ached.

She sat up and gripped her head, the throbbing. She infused her fingertips with chakra and eased the sharp pain in her head. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked down at her blue bedspread. Blue? Her bedspread was red.

Sakura raised her head and looked around. Minato was sleeping on the couch, his arm flung over his face as he yawned and rolled over trying to get comfortable, one of his long legs dangled off the end awkwardly.

She ran her hands through her hair and looked down at her crumpled clothes, Minato’s clothes. “Oh.” she hummed, that’s right, she had come here last night and had spent the night.

“Good morning.” Minato yawned as he sat up on his couch blinking at her, a tired smile on his face.

“Uh morning.” She blushed.

“Sorry about last night, banging on your door like that. I kinda panicked.” She pulled the covers up around her more in her embarrassment.

“There is nothing that happened last night that you need to be sorry for Sakura.” He smiled at her, his blue eyes clear and alert.

She frowned, what had happened last night...she remembered bits and pieces like a dream but…

“Are you hungry?” he asked her, pulling the blanket from the couch and folding it.

“Yeah, a little. I can make us something to pay you back for letting me stay the night.” She threw her feet over the side of the bed and started walking to his kitchen but he stopped her.

“Nothing to thank me for, you thanked me last night, don’t you remember?” He had his hands on top of her shoulders and was looking down at her.

“I did?” She creased her eyes thinking hard.

“Of course you did baby.” His hand snaked around the back of her neck and he cupped his formula.

“You let me put my formula on you, that’s thanks enough. It shows how much you trust me.” He smiled again and tugged a lock of her hair by her cheek.

She nodded slowly, she remembered that part but...wait, “Did you just call me baby?” She bit her bottom lip, flashes of him watching her, looking at her calling her baby passed through her mind.

“Sorry, bad habit of mine. I’ll stop if you want.” He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh, no that’s okay I guess, it just...for a minute I thought I had heard it before somewhere.” She frowned again, there was something she was missing, something had happened and she didn’t know what it was.

“Go get cleaned up, I’ll make us some eggs, the rice should be done already, I put it on a timer last night.” He padded over to his bed and laid the folded blanket on it, then walked to the kitchen to make their eggs.

“Yeah, okay.” She turned and headed for his bathroom pausing only slightly at the slipperiness between her legs.

Once in the bathroom she untied and pulled down the pants she was wearing to run her finger over her privates. ‘Why the hell am I so wet’, her face flamed red. She hoped Minato hadn’t noticed, was it because of her dreams she had last night? She washed her hands in the sink and splashed cold water on her face.

She had had the most erotic dreams last night, so much more erotic and detailed than any other dreams she had had before. Her face burned with shame at the thought of her possibly moaning in her sleep and Minato overhearing. She hoped she hadn’t done anything to embarrass herself.

Minato was dishing the eggs onto the bowls of rice when she exited the bathroom. He set their bowls down on his coffee table and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks. “Can you grab the tea Sakura please?” He called over his shoulder as she walked into the kitchen area.

“Yeah.” She picked up two mugs with one hand and the kettle with the other.

“Did you sleep well?” He smiled at her when she poured the tea and set the kettle on the coaster.

“Oh, uh yes, you?” She blushed, refusing to look at him.

“Very well, the best I’ve slept in a long time actually, probably because you were here. I hate to sleep alone.” He winked at her and she blushed even further.

“You slept on the couch Minato, it’s not like we were in the same bed.” She rolled her eyes at him.

“Right.” he looked at her, his blue eyes so vivid in the morning light, that she had to look away from him again.

She felt ridiculous.

“Did you have any dreams last night, you were moaning in your sleep.” He asked her straight faced as she choked on her tea.

“What? I was?” She squeaked.

Minato laughed, “No, but now I know you had some good dreams.” He winked at her again and she scowled at him.

“Ass.” She grumbled and picked at her rice with her chopsticks.

“Hey, it was hard for me to spend the night on the couch with such a beautiful woman in my bed. Maybe I’ll just join you next time.” He chewed a piece of egg and looked at her over the top of his raised bowl.

“Maybe.” she said sbsently as she stared into her cup of tea.

“Really?” he grinned at her.

“Huh?” she looked at him confused.

“You just said I could join you in bed next time.” He smiled at her.

“I wasn’t paying attention.” she said honestly.

He noticed she didn’t correct her reply though.

“So you want to tell me what happened last night? You were a bit frantic and then you fell asleep rather quickly.” He said as they ate.

Sakura nodded and told him what had happened by the river about Madara and then about the other Minato in much greater detail than the previous night now that she wasn’t as flustered or shaken.

Minato’s chakra darkened around him again but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the night before.

He had seen the worry in her eyes once more and it made him angry that someone would dare threaten her like this, could scare her like this.

“I told you last night I would protect you, remember?” He placed his hand on the back of his neck and nodded toward her.

“You have my formula on your neck, I can be beside you in an instant from almost anywhere on the continent, you don’t have to worry about anything.” He said seriously.

“I barely got away from him. He is you, he’s so fast and strong and I almost, if I had tripped, made one wrong move…” She shuddered at the thought and her throat went dry.

“You need to have more confidence in yourself, Sakura. Where is that fearless Anbu woman I first met?” He teased her.

She bit her bottom lip, “You’re right. I’m sorry. This whole traveling through dimensions is really messing with my head. I thought traveling back in time was complicated enough.” She laughed a little and looked up at him.

Minato smiled, “It’s a lot for anyone. You went through a war where you lost everyone, spent a year by yourself, then traveled through time to find out it was not only time that you traveled through but to another dimension as well.” He laughed again.

“I think you have a valid excuse for freaking out a little.” He smiled at her.

“Thanks Minato, you’re a really good friend.” She put her bowl of rice down and hugged him tightly.

“I care about you Sakura. I’m here for you, if you need me.” he set his bowl of rice down with one hand and hugged her back.

“Thank you.” She breathed into his neck, burying her face against his skin.

Minato closed his eyes and kept his hands from moving to her hair and face. When she pulled back from their embrace her green eyes smiled into his and his heart stopped.

“Sakura, I…” He wanted to tell her what he did, he knew he couldn’t but a little part of him thought that maybe if she knew...she might not mind as much as he feared. Then again, she might punch him through his wall with a chakra infused fist.

Sakura looked into his eyes, there was something there that she couldn’t name, so she waited for him to speak again.

“I think I'm falling in love with you.” He blurted out.

She blinked.

They sat there staring at one another in silence.

“What about...I mean, you’re with Kushina, what about Kushina?” Sakura asked him quietly.

“I don’t love her, even before you came here, I had already started to lose interest in her. Ever since you got here...the only person I’ve been able to think about...is you.” He told her honestly.

“I don’t want to hurt her but it isn’t fair if I keep stringing her along when I already know that I love you is it?” He asked her.

“No but, Minato, do you even know what you’re saying? You hardly know me!” His words were sinking into her now and she stood up from the couch.

“I mean, it’s been two weeks since we’ve met, that’s not nearly enough time to know if you love someone or not.” Her voice was getting higher.

“It is for me. From the first moment I met you, I knew and I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since, in fact, it’s only gotten worse. I want you more now than I did when we first met. I’m sure.” He crossed his arms across his chest and looked at her, daring her to argue back, to doubt his word.

Sakura looked at him, he was serious. First Madara, and now Minato...Madara, her heart stilled, she still didn’t understand what he had been trying to tell her. She hadn’t had any visions like he had told her she would. She bit her lips again.

“Give me some time Minato. It’s a lot to take in at the moment okay?” She swallowed visibly.

Minato nodded, “I understand. I'll be patient.” He would try.

“I think I’d like to go to my own apartment now, if that’s okay?” She said.

“Of course.”

He made a few quick hand signs. “I released the barrier between our two apartments, you can teleport into yours from mine now and vise versa. You have my formular on your neck now, I promised I wouldn’t use it unless it was an emergency or unless I had your permission, but there is also a formula in your apartment.” He grinned at her.

“I know you aren’t limited by a formular tag like me though, so don’t worry about knocking first. I have nothing to hide from you.” He winked at her.

“I’ll just put this in your refrigerator.” She picked up her bowl to walk it to the kitchen.

“Take it with you, you still have to eat and it’s already yours, give me the bowl back later, it’s no big deal.” He told her.

“Thanks Minato.” She didn’t know what else to say.

He smiled at her and she flickered away, her bowl in her hands.

It was only after she had left that he realized she hadn’t said that she didn’t love him back or didn’t want him to love her. He looked around his apartment, it seemed so empty now that she had gone. He sighed and started to clean up.

Sakura felt the floor beneath her feet and let out the breath she had been holding. She set the bowl of rice and egg on the counter in her kitchen and immediately went to her bathroom to throw up. She needed to relax, she needed to calm down. She needed the men in her life to stop throwing curve balls at her every chance they got.

Her hands turned the taps to her shower and steam filled her small bathroom. She stepped under the hot spray and let the water wash away her doubts and her fears. She stood under the water until it ran cold, shook and wrapped herself in a towel. She would just take a small nap to clear her head and then maybe go to the library.

She was looking for information on time travel and dimensional travel...and wasn’t having any luck. Her nose scrunched up as she ran her fingers over the bindings of books once again looking for anything that might help her answer her question. How did one make a traveling contract, both time and dimensional?

Sakura knew the history of the Otsutsuki clan, she knew about the Sage of Six Paths and about the Rabbit goddess...what she didn’t know is if they were the only ones who could make these kinds of contracts, or if there were others that could make them as well. That’s what she wanted to know. She would prefer to find out on her own, she didn’t want to ask the goddess herself if she didn’t have to.

Naruto had given her the scroll, but the goddess had given her her blessing to use it. Without Rabbit’s blessing, Sakura doubted it would have worked for her, she wasn’t anyone special. She wasn’t Naruto the reincarnation of Asura, or Sasuke, the reincarnation of Indra. She was just Haruno Sakura, who apparently had some sort of special chakra...according to Madara.

Another thing to add to her list. She sighed.

Hidden between two tall shelves of old books with her chakra suppressed she hadn’t been surprised they hadn’t sensed her but she was surprised at what she heard them speaking about.

“The clan grows restless Fugaku Sama and will not tolerate such injustice for much longer. The village that our clan founded along with the Senju treats us with suspicion and fear. We have done nothing to warrant such hostilities. I beg you, please talk to The Third Hokage Fugaku Sama, before we lose control over the clan.” 

“I have already scheduled a meeting with the Hokage to discuss such matters, Setsuna, do not worry. I will resolve this. Our clan is a pillar in this village, without us, it can not stand. The Hokage will listen, he knows how hard our clan has worked over the years to keep the peace, he knows it is the Uchiha who keep their citizens safe at night, he will listen.” Fugaku said calmly.

“And Danzo? What of him?” Setsuza asked forcefully.

“I will take care of Danzo.” Fugaku’s voice was hard.

“Of course Fugaku Sama, forgive me.” Setsuna stammered.

“There is nothing to forgive, go back to the compound, tell my wife I will meet her there shortly.” Fugake dismissed Setsuna.

“Yes Uchiha Sama.”

Sakura remained silent and waited until she heard Fugaku move to another aisle, then another. She rose to stand thinking. Her talk with the Lord Third was long overdue it seemed.

She leapt through the Hokage’s office window landing in a crouch in front of his desk.

“So nice to see you Sakura, but would you mind using the door next time dear?” The Hokage hadn’t even looked up from his paperwork.

“Of course Lord Third.” Sakura rose on her feet and stood before him waiting.

Hiruzen looked up and smiled at the pink haired medic nin, “What can I do for you Sakura?”

“I overheard some unpleasantness in the library Lord Third that confirms what I already know of the Uchiha in the future.” She said at his invitation.

“Yes, I am aware of the unrest.” Sarutobi sighed, placing his hands on his desk before him.

“If I might suggest honoring the Uchiha clan, publicly, and thanking them for their continued efforts on behalf of the village at the festival tonight sir, to ensure the clan and remind them of the village’s continued respect and gratitude for all of their efforts?” She inclined her head to him.

“I have a meeting with Fugaku after the festival, I am sure the unrest will be his point of topic.” The Lord Third said in an attempt to dismiss the topic.

“I fear even a days wait will be too late for some of their clan. With all due respect Lord Third, I think a public show of gratitude for their efforts in the last war, is imperative to avoid a massacre in the near future.” She said pointedly.

The Hokage tented his fingers, “What kind of gratitude should we show them, an award, a grant perhaps?” he asked her.

“I will commission a small monument to be placed in the village park, honoring their efforts for the last war. If I’m not mistaken, their clan suffered the most casualties did they not?” She asked.

“They did.” He agreed.

“Then I will commission a monument honoring their sacrifice for the village and you will announce it at the festival. When it is completed, we could hold a small cerm=emony for the clan.” She suggested.

“Am I to understand you will pay for this monument yourself? It is not in the village budget right now, the Leaf can not afford to pay for such a request.” The Lord Third said.

“I will pay for it, anonymously. It is a small price to pay for the hundreds of lives of the Uchiha of the Leaf and all the suffering that would result for generations afterward.” She said quietly.

The Hokage looked at her face. Her eyes were dark, her mind was elsewhere and he wondered just what sacrifices she was referring to.

“If you are willing to pay for such a service to ensure the continuation of peace...I thank you and accept your offer and suggestion. I will make the announcement at the festival as soon as I receive the paperwork for the monument.” He smiled at her as her shoulders slumped with relief.

“Thank you Lord Third.” She bowed respectfully.

“I feel like I should be thanking you. I have a feeling this is much more than just a monument you are building.” He watched her mouth twitch.

“Insightful as usual Lord Third.” She flashed him a brilliant smile and flickered away.

“Such a heavy burden to put on the shoulders of someone so young.” Sarutobi muttered as he bent back over his paperwork.

Sakura walked around the border of the market looking for a familiar chakra signature. She saw him standing with the girl Rin by the bakery. She grit her teeth and walked out into the crowd to speak to Obito Uchiha. He turned and spotted her approach before she had gotten within ten feet of him and ran smack into her grinning, “Sakura Chan!”

“Obito Kun, just the shinobi I was looking for.” She smiled down at him.

“Really?” He blushed and ducked his head.

“Yes, would you do me a favor, Obito and give this letter of commission to a good builder, it’s a commission for a monument from the village. The Hokage asked me to write it up but I have no idea who to give it to.” She smiled down at him.

“I know just the guy Sakura Chan!” He jumped on his heels.

“Follow me!” He darted off into the crowd and she had to flicker to catch him before he disappeared.

They stopped in front of a decent sized shop with what appeared to be a foundry behind it. Obito pulled on Sakura’s sleeve and they stepped inside, the little bell over the door jingeling merrily to signify their presence.

“Well hello there Obito.” An older man came out from the back, cane under palm and smiled at the young Uchiha.

“Oh, and who is this pretty young lady with you today Obito my boy, she’s a bit old for you isn’t she?” The old man winked at Sakura who laughed.

“This is Sakura Chan! She asked me who the best builder in Konoha was and I brought her here to you Kenma San.” Obito grinned pleased he was making two people happy at once.

“Well, that’s kind of you, such a nice young man you are, well then what may I do for you young lady?” Kenma smiled at Sakura with a humours glint in his eye.

“I would like to commission a monument on behalf of Konoha Kenma San, if you have the time of course.” Sakura smiled and handed him her letter.

Kenma bowed and took the letter from her, opened it, read it, his eyes widened. “I would be honoured to make such a monument. It’s about damn time too.” He grinned at her and she smiled back pleased with his enthusiasm.

“Please send me the bill, I will be handling the payment on behalf of the Hokage.” She bowed.

When she raised her head she found Kenma looking at her with a calculating sort of expression on his face.

“To you, not the Hokage’s secretary?” He asked her.

“To me. I have a personal interest in the project.” She smiled.

“Ah. Well then who am I to complain. I will write it up for you and have it to you in a few days' time along with several mock ups for the design...I assume you will also be choosing the design my dear?” He asked casually, but his evident smirk ruined it completely.

Sakura laughed, “You got it.” She winked at him and it was his turn to laugh this time.

“I look forward to working with you on this very admirable and long overdue project. I’ll send word in a few days' time.” He inclined his head to her and she nodded.

“Could I have a writ to give to the Hokage saying you have accepted the project proposal Kenma San?” Sakura asked.

“Of course dear, one moment.” He went to his back room and wrote a note up quickly, signed and stamped it, handing it to her with another smile.

“Thank you Kenma San.” Sakura left with Obito asking her a million questions a minute.

Sakura said goodbye to Obito at the edge of the market thanking him for his help.

“See you at the festival tonight Sakura Chan!” Obito yelled after her as she ran back to the Hokage’s tower, writ in hand.

She raised her hand without looking back in acknowledgement landing on the roof of the tower a moment later and jumped through the Hokage’s window to find Shikaku and Inoichi standing before the Hokage.

“Oh, forgive me for interrupting Hokage Sama. I have the writ you asked for.” She bowed and laid the writ on the Lord Third’s desk and stepped back.

“That was quick Sakura, your enthusiasm is commendable.” He covered his look of surprise by inserting his pipe into his mouth and picking the writ up with the other hand.

“This looks wonderful dear, thank you.” He looked up at her and nodded.

“Thank you Hokage Sama.” She turned to leave with a small smile at Shikaku but the Lord Third stopped her.

“Sakura, I don’t want to have to use a sealing jutsu on my windows but I will use the door next time.” 

Sakura blushed, “Sorry Hokage Sama, old habit.” She laughed.

“No time like the present to break it then.” He gave her a stern look but she could see the humor in his eye.

“Of course Hokage Sama.” She left the room, through the door, with a quick glance at Shikaku who smiled at her.

Minato was waiting on the stairs of their apartment building for her when she got home. Her steps slowed when she saw him sitting there watching her.

“It’s me.” He flared his chakra briefly and his formula on the back of her neck warmed at it’s presence.

“Can I talk to you inside?” He stood up and started walking up the stairs stopping in front of her door.

Sakura opened the door and they went inside.

“I told Kushina.” He said as soon as they sat down on the couch together.

“You told her what?” Sakura asked.

“I told her I didn’t think we should see one another anymore.” He watched her eyes.

“Minato.” Sakura shook her head.

“I told you, I don’t love her.” He said ducking his head to look into her eyes.

“I’ve thought about this and I told you, my feelings for her had started to dissipate even before you came to Konoha, before I met you. I told her that too. I was honest with her.” He lifted her head with his hand so she had to look at him.

“I don’t know for sure what I feel for you is love, but I think it is. I mean, I’ve never been in love before but I’m pretty sure this is it.” He smiled a lopsided smile at her.

“You don’t have to say anything. I’m not expecting you to say you love me back. You’re right, we haven’t known one another very long, but I know I won’t change my mind. I just...wanted you to know.” His hand dropped from her face.

“I’m going to go find Madara, I want to find out more about this other me. You said that Madara told you someone under a travel contract couldn’t kill another under the same kind of contract right?”

Sakura nodded.

“Well, I’m not under a traveling contract, but I will need more information than the information you gave me and the only other person I can get it from...is Madara.”

“Minato.” She started to protest.

“You can’t stop me Sakura and you can’t expect me to sit back and let him threaten you like he did last night either.” He rose from her couch and smiled down at her.

“Have fun at the festival tonight with the Nara, don’t go anywhere alone. I’ll find you later tonight.” He bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

“I mean it Sakura, after what happened last night, I don’t think you should go anywhere alone. Our building is safe, but Konoha is not. If you need me, call me with my formula on the back of your neck, just infuse your palm with chakra and press it into the seal.” He flickered once and he was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

There was a rabbit turning over the fire on a spit, there was water in a mug by the rock, he was there, Minato knew.

“Madara, I would like to speak to you, about this ‘other’ me. He scared Sakura last night. I need information that only you can provide. Will you speak with me please?” Minato sat down by the fire and waited for the other man to show himself.

“I’ve been expecting you Minato.” Madara stepped out of the shadows, the light of the fire danced over his red armour that shone brightly in the dark part of the cave.

The symbolism was not lost on Minato. He sat closer to the front of the cave on the other side of the fire where the light from the opening still reached his feet, and Madara stood covered in shadows, in the confines of the dark where the light of the day did not reach, only the burning glow of the fire.

“He is impatient, he has never approached her so quickly after finding her.” Madara spoke evenly but Minato could sense the tense undertones of his words.

“How do you know I’m not him, Sakura couldn’t tell.” Minato asked, he had been expecting the Uchiha to interrogate him or to ask for proof of his claim to be the original of this time.

“I know his kind all too well. This is not my first dance with the man, I told you.” Madara all but growled, his hate and loathing for the man palatable.

“I branded her, with my formula mark, she is safe.” Minato told him.

“You branded her?” Madara took two quick steps toward the blonde.

Minato stood quickly, watching…

“She agreed to it, I did it with her consent, to keep her safe.” He said lightly trying to disperse the added tension in the air.

“I see.” Madara looked over the man before him.

“She is at home then I see, under your added protection.” Madara sat down on the rock by the edge of the fire and turned his rabbit.

“You knew.” Minato said, more than a little surprised at the Uchiha’s insight and detection skills. A legend indeed.

“I could see her, everywhere she went until last night, when she went to your door. You are more advanced in your knowledge of seals than any of your ‘other’ selves I have met so far, in my travels.” Madara said conversationally.

“I wonder though...are you as devious as the others as well?” Obsidian of the darkest night met clear ocean’s blue.

“I will not deny there is darkness in my heart, like all of us who are shinobi have, but my feelings for her are as real as yours. Do not impune me.” Minato said without rancor, but with direct and honest truth.

“One. Only one.” Madara said to himself.

“One?” Minato asked.

“Just one before you, earned enough of my trust to leave her under his protection. It seems the closer I get to finding her the more of ‘you’, I come across.” His voice was weary, he was tired of this game, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up on his dream...not yet.

“I’m not sure what you mean. There have been other dimensions where Sakura and I were...together?” Minato asked, hopeful that this too would be one of those dimensions.

The hope in the other man’s voice sickened Madara.

“Yes.” He replied with a sigh.

“Do you believe in soulmates Namikaze?” Madara asked.

“I believe in love at first sight.” Minato admitted.

A low soft chuckle rumbled up from Madara’s chest.

“Very well.” The Uchiha said leaning forward to turn his rabbit once again as though he had come to some sort of concussion.

Minato waited patiently for the man to elaborate.

“Your other self, nearly a decade ago, before I met the little thorn in my side, told me the very same thing.” Madara shook his head and smiled with memories that were only his and no one else’s.

“I believe in soulmates. I believe there is one person out there for everyone and when one dies, another is reborn. It was prophesied eons ago by the Otsutsuki Clan, the god-like legends of old. My ancient clan ties bind me to such prophecies, for good or ill…” Madara stared into the fire.

“I am not complete without her, but it seems this one, is not the one I was looking for after all.” Madara’s gaze pierced Minato, heavy with the weight of understanding and compliance.

“He will come again, he is collecting her other selves, he siphons their chakra to prolong his own life force, you know of her chakra, its unique qualities don't you?” Madara asked him.

Minato shook his head.

“She is a distant relative of the Uzumaki, a long forgotten branch lost to the frayed and tattered pages of history, from the time of the Otsutsuki and beyond. A product of true love, of innocence, of forgiveness.” Madara closed his eyes.

“The darkness...it craves the light. It fears the light but at the same time obsesses over it, desires it, loathes it.” Madara opened his eyes again.

“She is a healer of souls, not just mortal wounds...and she doesn’t even know it.” Madara smiled.

“A healer of souls...so this, other me, he wants her to heal his soul?” Minato was still not clear on his ‘other’ self’s intentions toward Sakura.

“His soul can not be healed and he knows it. So he seeks to destroy what he can never have, will never have. Forgiveness. He is her complete opposite. She is his light and he is her dark.” Madara said, his eyes watching the blonde.

“Not all of your ‘others’ are the same, remember, to everyone there is another. In other words, he might also be your opposite, a reflection of your shared soul. Each dimension is a little different or a lot different than the next.” Madara reminded MInato.

Minato sat in quiet contemplation. His opposite. Was this other Minato really his opposite? He thought about last night, he thought about what he had done to her and guilt consumed him. Was he any better…

“He will kill her.” Madara’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“You must see that he doesn’t. You are not under a traveling contract. You are also his other self, it has to be you that kills him. I have done everything I could to protect her. I’ve infused my chakra to blend and meld with her own, she will have my signature on her, like your brand. The rest is up to you, to her.” Madara pulled his rabbit from the fire.

“I will be leaving soon. This dimension belongs to you, there is nothing for me here.” Madara ripped a strip of meat from the carcass and chewed silently.

“Thank you Uchiha San.” Minato rose and walked toward the entrance of the cave, turned and bowed, “I hope you find your soulmate again.”, and flickered away.

“As do I.” Madara sat alone in his cave, the memories of his long dead wife rising up from the ground around him. “As do I.” he repeated and closed his eyes.

Minato walked back to the village on foot thinking over every word Madara had told him. Sakura didn’t seem to know how special she really was, and that was dangerous. He needed to tell her.

He needed to protect her. She had his formula, she had Madara’s chakra, his chakra in her...was there anything else he could do? 

“There’s always something, there has to be something else I can do to protect her.” He muttered to himself.

Minato closed his eyes as he walked, feeling his way through the forest using his chakra. He could feel her, she was in her apartment, safe. He smiled. She was everything he had ever wanted. No, he didn’t believe in soulmates, but he did believe in love at first sight, he did believe in true love and he knew he loved her, no matter what she said about it. To him it didn’t matter a year, two weeks, it was all the same to him.

She stared down at the notepad in front of her. It was a simple enough list.

1- Save the Uchiha Clan  
Kill Danzo  
Village recognition and appreciation  
Strengthen bonds through intermingling relations

2- Eliminate Orochimaru  
Remove all hideouts/laboratories and experiments from existence  
Eliminate any and all of those with curse marks to prevent resurrection

3- Push for an alliance with the Sand Village

4- Extend an alliance to the Akatsuki 

Simple enough in theory, not quite as simple to execute. She tapped her finger on her top lip. How would she manage this.

“One at a time.” She told herself out loud and hopped to her feet stretching.

Sakura looked at the clock on the wall, 2pm, she had four hours until Shikaku would come to pick her up for the festival. 

The festival...everyone would be distracted, would Danzo? She doubted it. Yawning and stretching she considered her best options and tucked them in the back of her head for later. Right now, she was hungry, she wondered if that dumpling shop in the corner of the market from her time was there now. She grabbed her purse and walked out her door with a smile on her face.

Sakura smiled to herself as she walked along the outskirts of the market looking around at all of the Spring Festival decorations. It was one of her favorite times of the year and by far her favorite festival. Konoha celebrated the Spring with much more enthusiasm than other villages, probably because of the First Hokage, being a wood style user, he had an affinity for nature itself.

She wove her way in and out of a few scattered groups of shoppers enjoying the nice weather and the decorations when she spotted a familiar face up ahead. He was sitting on one of the many wooden benches that lined the smaller gardens of Konoha and appeared to be waiting for her. She smiled as she walked up to him and waved her hand a bit in greeting.

“Hi Tenma San. How are you doing today?” Sakura greeted the man she had seen with Obito the other day.

“Sakura San, it is a pleasure to encounter you once again. I am well, how are you on this beautiful day?” He reciprocated politely if not a bit rigidly...very Uchiha like.

She smiled, “I am well. Will you be joining the village this evening in the Spring festivities?” 

“I will, my friends and I look forward to it every year.” He smiled more comfortably at her now.

She was surprised to hear this, she had assumed most of the Uchiha celebrated the festival in their own compound but scolded herself, she remembered seeing Sasuke at one of the Spring Festivals with his mother when they were children, from her time.

“It is my favorite festival, I am glad I’m home for it this year, it’s...been a long time since I have had the opportunity to participate and enjoy one.” She smiled a bit abstractedly, thinking of her time alone after the war, but her smile brightened considerably when she saw a few loose streamers float by on the breeze.

“I hope to see you there then. I know Obito is looking forward to claiming a dance with you this evening.” Tenma’s smirk was clear on his face, as was his amusement.

“The boy has scarcely stopped talking about the beautiful pink blur of power...a force to be reckoned with, he tells all in the compound who will still listen to him.” His amusement was clear on his face now as he watched the pink tint her cheeks.

“He is a very excitable and sweet boy, Obito.” She laughed a bit self consciously.

“You made quite an impression on him. I will not hold you from your errands any further. I only wished to thank you for helping Obito and his team by the Kannabi Bridge during the war. After his grandmother passed away, his guardianship fell to me.” Tenma inclined his head.

“It was my duty and my pleasure.” Sakura nodded to the man.

“The Uchiha are a vital part of this village. I would have hated to see them lose such a young and enthusiastic member. Obito is strong and will grow up to be a very powerful asset to the Leaf...I can tell.” She smiled and started to walk away thinking that their conversation was over but Tenma followed her.

“I do not wish to intrude, but I can’t help but notice you are much different than most of the other elite shinobi, or the other villagers for that matter.” He paused choosing his words carefully, he had had every intention of ending their conversation but the woman fascinated him.

“Most do not hold the Uchiha in such a friendly manner as you do. I wonder, you are not well known in the compound, have you had much interaction with our clan to have formed such a fondness for us?” He smiled at her hoping to curb his intrusive nature.

“I am familiar with the Uchiha. I am not at liberty to tell you why or how, but I am very familiar with your clan and have had close ties to one member in particular for many years, before he died.” She averted her eyes, and continued.

“We were close...I do not hold the Uchiha under the same suspicions as many others in the village do, I know of the unrest. Don’t worry Tenma San, it will all work itself out in the end.” She smiled at him.

“This is my stop. Would you like to join me?” She waved her hand at the dumpling stand, pleased it was in business at this time.

“I’m afraid I have trespassed on your time for far too long.” He bowed to her.

“I hope to see you at the festival this evening.” He smiled and walked away toward the Uchiha compound.

Sakura watched him walk away and hoped this was the beginning of the Uchiha understanding that the village did not resent them or harbor such suspicions as Danzo wanted them to believe. In her time, as the Hokage’s apprentice she was privy to much of the talks and classified correspondence that had led to the Uchiha planning a civil war and a coop to take over the village. She knew, like most did not, that Danzo was the root of all their evils and that the Lord Third had been weak and had refused to see the dangers the man posed to the village...just like Orochimaru…

She, would take care of that for them all.

It was just like she had remembered and she bit into the fresh dumpling with relish and moaned audibly in delight, much to the amusement of the proprietor who was watching her with a smile on her face.

“How are they dear?” The woman, not much older than herself asked her.

“Heavenly.” Sakura closed her eyes in bliss.

“I love your food, it is the best in Konoha.” Sakura said truthfully.

The woman blushed herself but smiled widely and filled Sakura’s cup of juice to the top for her again.

“I am very glad to hear it. We opened only last month, please spread the word and I will give you a care package to take home with you, on the house.” The woman bowed to Skaura who was delighted.

“I had planned on spreading the word anyway but I’ll take that care package with thanks!” Sakura smiled in between bites at the woman.

Sakura picked up another bun and felt a coolness wash over her. She turned her head in the direction she could have sworn she felt a chakra pulse but saw nothing. Shrugging outwardly she turned back to her bun, inwardly she frowned. Someone had tried to cast a jutsu over her...who?

With a casualness she didn’t feel she continued her meal and waited. They would try again, she had no doubt. Not a moment later she felt that coolness again and allowed it to take her, her chakra pulsing in time with the caster’s undetected. Blonde hair flashed in her head...Ino, she thought, no...Inoichi.

She flared her chakra and flickered to the roof of the stand, her bun falling to the ground.

“What do you think you’re doing? Why are you trying to invade my mind Inoichi San?” She demanded, her sword drawn and pressed against his throat.

Two Anbu dropped down beside them.

“Put down your weapon Kunoichi and step away from Yamanaka San.” One of the Anbu commanded.

Sakura scoffed, these pitiful excuses for Anbu, who did they think they were talking to.

“No.” She smirked.

“I want to know why Yamanaka San,” She said his name with slowly placed sarcasm, “Tried to use his kekkei genkai against me just now, when I have done nothing wrong.”

She pressed her blade’s edge to his throat and a trickle of blood seeped from the wound to pool along the edge, spilling off the end onto his shirt.

“I will not tell you again.” The same Anbu said more forcefully.

“You will fall where you stand, do not press me, I am out of your league.” She hissed.

“Stand down.” Inoichi said, his eyes never leaving Sakura’s.

“Yamanaka San.” The Anbu protested.

“She is correct. I tried to enter her mind without provocation, I am in the wrong. Leave us.” He ordered and the Anbu left, after looking back at the pink haired woman with surprise and curiosity.

Sakura removed her blade from his throat.

“Care to explain what this is about?” She asked him after wiping his blood from her blade.

Inoichi opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Minato who appeared in a flash before their eyes beside Sakura.

“Sakura, are you alright? I felt your chakra flare up a moment ago.” He looked at Inoichi.

“Inoichi San, what has happened?’ Minato looked from Inoichi to Sakura curious.

“We’re fine. A misunderstanding, I’m sure.” Sakura waved away Minato’s concern much to his annoyance.

“Yes, a misunderstanding. Forgive me Sakura San.” Inoichi bowed to Sakura and MInato.

“My forgiveness pends on your reason. Why?” Sakura asked.

“The Hokage, he wished to know why you were really here. He wanted to make sure your agenda was the same as his own.” Inoichi said truthfully.

Sakura thought as much…

“Then he should have asked me himself.” She said a little bitterly.

“He did not wish to offend you but...you must understand, it was to ensure the safety of the village, he only wanted proof of your loyalty...for the council.” He told her.

“The council of old relics of a bygone era...worthless insufferable creatures.” She hummed to herself thinking.

She knew that the Lord Third would not approve of her ‘list’, which she had made, which is why she had had to make it in the first place. She also knew he didn’t have the gumption to deny the council of the proof they requested for her presence in their village. Danzo’s request no doubt. Sakura thought about her options.

“I will allow you to enter my mind, but only in the presence of the Lord Third and MInato, in his office, after the festival.” She told him.

“You will?” Inoichi was surprised.

“Of course.” She had lost her patience.

“I am a loyal Konoha kunoichi, I do not want doubt cast upon my character, it is an insult.” She said with much more bite than she had meant to.

“I wonder who asked for this proof.” Minato spoke up.

“I already know who it was. Danzo.” Sakura spit the name out of the side of her mouth with distaste.

Inoichi knew it had been Danzo but the surprise on his face that she had also known was clear.

“How did you?” He began but was cut off by the pink haired woman in front of him.

“I know a lot more than you think. Tell the Hokage my proposal.” She said evenly.

“Thank you Sakura San. I’m sorry, I do not think you a threat to the village, but I admit, I am more than a little curious about you.” Even more so now than before, he thought of what she had told the Anbu.

Sakura nodded her understanding and stepped forward, “Allow me to heal your cut, it was...unfortunate.” Her fingers traced the shallow wound and it faded from his skin.

“That still amazes me everytime I see it.” Minato smiled.

“Thank you.” Inoichi said again and leapt to the next roof and away.

Sakura sighed. “Want to help me finish my lunch?” She turned to Minato who smiled at her.

“I love dumplings.” They jumped down from the roof and sat at her table together.

The proprietor cast her a slightly surprised look and came forward with another cup for Minato and a small smile on her face.

“You shinobi, you never cease to surprise me. I thought you’d run off, but you only went to get your husband, and what a handsome man he is too.” The woman winked at Sakura who turned red in the face.

“He isn’t my husband.” She mumbled.

“Yet.” Minato smiled and the lady laughed.


	20. Chapter 20

She bit her bottom lip as she stood before her mirror examining her reflection. She wore her hair up, pinned in loose curls at the top of her head with a few shorter locks hanging to her chin that framed her face nicely. A light lip gloss to make her lips shine and clear mascara completed her makeup. She picked up the little container of blush and set it back down. She didn’t like wearing makeup, it was a pointless annoyance to her but she felt like a little decoration for the festival was okay.

She wore a combination of modern and traditional dress. Her top half of her body was a full sleeved traditional kimono wrap but cut short on one side and angled diagonally at her hip. A set of matching capri pants completed her ensemble. It was a darker cyan blue with white trim, and she rather thought it suited her. 

Out of sheer habit she had tied her poisoned senbon to her upper arm before pulling her kimono sleeves up, they would be accessible to her if she needed them, and of course she had two short blades, guardless, on either side of her legs, upended for an easy draw. Pleased with herself, she turned to look at the time on the clock and saw she only had a few minutes before Shikaku would be there to pick her up.

She folded her list that she had written earlier and tucked it into her obi, white, to match the trim of her kimono, next to her flash tags.

Minato had walked her back home after lunch and had gone back out again saying he would see her at the festival and to save a dance for him. She wondered what he was up to but had decided it wasn’t any of her business, she was just happy he didn’t seem to mind her going to the festival with Shikaku, even though her plans had been made when he had still been with Kushina.

Sakura bit her lip again thinking of Kushina. She felt terrible. True, she hadn’t encouraged his interest in her, she hadn’t known about it but still, guilt consumed her. She liked Kushina, and if Minato and Kushina didn’t have Naruto...she didn’t know how she felt about that. Was it imperative for Naruto to exist in this timeline, this dimension? If she stopped all the misfortune that she knew could befall it, then they wouldn’t need the hero of the Leaf, would they?

Madara had told her that he had visited some dimensions where she hadn’t even been born in her time, or the time before, perhaps she had been born in the time after? If she was here now, would her other self still be born or would it change...if that was the case would Naruto's existence change as well or would Kushina marry someone else and he would be born that way? Naruto really only resembled Minato, his personality was all Kushina as far as Sakura could tell.

It was little comfort to her to realize this, but a comfort nonetheless. She still felt guilty and she realized it was because...she was really starting to like this Minato. She paused thinking that thought over again in her head. ‘She was really starting to like this Minato.’ She bit her lip again, her head turning to the door as Shikaku knocked on it, right on time.

“Good evening Skaura.” Shikaku smiled his slow smile at her.

“You look wonderful, that color suits you.” His eyes took in her hair and her dress with one quick swipe of his eyes.

“You look very nice yourself Shikaku.” 

He really did, she thought. He was in a fully traditional Yukata, black with the Nara clan crest on the front. It complimented his dark eyes and hair.

“Are you ready?” He held his hand out to her and she nodded, placing her hand in his as he led her down the stairs.

“I thought we could start by watching some of the games, there are a lot of entertainment stands set up along the perimeter of the market, or we could get something to eat if you like?” He asked her.

“Both sound delightful. I’m just happy to be back to see the Spring festival, I’ve missed it so much.” She smiled up at him.

“Maybe we could look at some of the games first?” She suggested and he nodded leading her toward the market.

The streets were as crowded as she had expected them to be, but it didn’t bother her as much as it had before and she couldn’t help but wonder if meeting the ‘other’ Minato had something to do with it. She felt safer in a crowd.

“Are you alright?” Shikaku asked her when she had paused before entering the market proper where masses and swarms of people milled about aimlessly.

She swallowed but nodded, she had to get used to this again, she had to get over her ridiculous handicap. She had a plan, goals and she wouldn't let something so ridiculous hold her back.

Shikaku looked down at her determined expression, he understood, and guided her through the crowds to the fish stall.

“Would you like to try?” He teased her.

It was a kids game, for children under the age of six. She laughed at him and pointed to the rubber kunai game stall.

“Let’s do that one, if I won a fish, it would probably die on me anyway, I would forget to feed it.” She smiled at him and he laughed.

They shared a look, each taking a rubber kunai in each hand and threw them at the targets lined up before them. It was a game for shinobi and the targets flashed in and out of sight. Sakura laughed as both of their kunai missed their targets but laughed even harder at the disappointed look on Shikaku’s face when his missed as well.

“Want to try again?” The vendor smiled innocently at them.

“Yeah.” Shikaku glared at the target.

“You bet.” Sakura took two more kunai from the vendor and smiled.

She closed her eyes and sent her chakra out toward the targets and smirked...chakra strings. She opened her eyes and looked at the vendor, his arm was behind his back and she laughed.

“Ready?” She asked Shikaku who was squinting hard at the target.

“I’m ready.” He said, raising the little rubber kunai in his hands.

Sakura held the two rubber kunai with one hand and sent her own chakra strings out from the tips of her fingers with the other. They both threw their rubber kunai. Sakura hit both of her targets, knocking them to the floor while Shikaku missed and hit the backboard.

“How the hell did you do that!” Shikaku exclaimed as she laughed at the expression on the vendor’s face.

“Our little secret.” She winked at the vendor who was looking at her in a slow sort of calculating manner.

“Interesting.” The vendor said in a slight drawling voice.

He handed her a little puppet, it’s strings were tied up to prevent tangling and it’s joints clacked together noisily.

“Thank you.” Sakura smiled at the vendor.

“It’s really nice.” She took time to look at the puppet more closely. It’s design was a bit familiar. She frowned at the puppet.

“Is there something wrong?” The vendor asked her.

Sakura jumped a little, ‘how did he get so close’, she narrowed her eyes at him. She was being foolish, he was just a vendor for the festival.

“No, nothing, I was just admiring the artistry, the workmanship and detail is much nicer than what I was expecting to find at a festival.” She looked back down at the puppet.

“Did you make this?” She asked the vendor.

“I make such things...in my spare time, yes.” He said slowly, watching her with dark brown eyes.

Sakura looked up from her puppet and met his gaze, it was so intense…

“Would you like to try another game, Sakura?” Shikaku asked.

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry.” She turned her attention back to her date.

“Sakura.” The vendor said her name in a way that sent shivers down her spine.

“What a beautiful name, how fitting and expected.” His eyes went to her hair. “It suits you.”

“Thank you.” Sakura stammered. ‘Sasori’, her thoughts betrayed her.

‘Impossible’, he couldn’t possibly be here in Konoha. The likelihood was… she pushed the thought from her head as Shikaku tugged on her arm.

Sakura allowed Shikaku to pull her to the next stall and then the next, all the while she could feel the eyes of the vendor from the rubber kunai stand boring into the back of her head, at the base of her neck...where his teeth would meet.

She shivered.

“Are you cold? We can get some tea if you like, it is a little brisk tonight.” Shikaku asked her when he felt her shiver beside him.

Embarrassed by her reaction and her thoughts she readily agreed and moved with him to stand in line at one of the many flavored tea stands.

Shikaku watched her smile at a few passing people she had met while she was here and warmed at the thought she was slowly becoming more and more at home again. He had watched her from her first day back, she had been rigid and stand offish, polite but reserved. She smirked instead of smiled but now, she was more relaxed, calmer and less...intense than she used to be.

Kushina watched Shikaku and Sakura sitting together by the dance floor watching the couples dance. They looked happy together. Minato had been honest with her. He had told her he was interested in Sakura, that she didn’t return his feelings but that he knew he wasn’t going to change his mind. Kushina had cried, she had fallen in love with him but respected him for telling her the truth.

Her eyes misted over again thinking of how she had picked her outfit to match his eyes and now she sat alone by the dancefloor watching couple after couple laugh and smile around her. Her eyes found their way back to Sakura and the Nara. She looked happy and had her hand on the Nara’s arm. Maybe Sakura didn’t like Minato the way he liked her...Kushina felt bad for hoping that was true. She wanted Minato to be happy. A tear slid down her cheek.

Kushina rose from her seat and silently made her way home. She didn’t want to be around all these happy couples anymore. She was happy for Sakura and Shikaku, they really did make a nice couple. She hadn’t seen Minato at the festival yet and wondered, foolishly, where he was and what he was doing.

Inoichi saw his friend sitting with Sakura and walked over to them. He hoped their little misunderstanding wasn’t enough for her to hold any ill will against him. She had seemed amicable enough when they parted and if his friend was as interested in the woman as he looked, he should try to bridge the gap of mistrust between them.

“Sakura, Shikaku.” Inoichi nodded to them and smiled.

Sakura stiffened only slightly by his side and Shikaku wondered why.

“Inoichi, nice to see you, you remember Sakura?” Shikaku looked between them sensing the slightest amount of tension.

“Yes, of course I remember, we had a little run in this afternoon actually.” Inoichi laughed a little, Sakura was looking at him as though she were annoyed at his presence.

“A run in, yes. I suppose we could call it that. How are you this evening Inoichi?” She asked politely.

“I am well, thank you.” Inoichi smiled, hopeful at her display of cordiality.

“Sakura Chan!” Obito Uchiha’s voice interrupted anything Inocichi or Sakura may have said next as he ran at almost full speed from across the market to get to her.

“Uh hello Obito.” Sakura laughed at the boy who was red in the face and leaning over, one hand to the stitch in his side , the other on his knee as he gasped for breath.

“Want to dance with me Sakura Chan?” Obito stood up and tried to pretend he wasn’t still trying to catch his breath.

Sakura looked up at Shikaku who shrugged, “A little Genin isn’t any competition for me.” He grinned at her.

Sakura laughed as Obito surged forward and grabbed her by the hand pulling her out onto the dance floor behind him.

“I didn’t know you two were dating.” Inoichi sat down beside his friend where Sakura had been moments ago.

“This is our third date maybe?” Shikaku said easily with a quick shrug.

“Third, really…” Inoichi was surprised, she had just come back to the village not long ago.

“I saw her this afternoon, she caught me trying to enter her mind with my jutsu.” Inoichi said conversationally.

“Ah.” Shikaku smiled, that explained the tension between his friend and Sakura.

“She knew what I was doing, she let me think she was oblivious and drew me in, then forced me out of her mind again...she was playing with me.” Inoichi said seriously.

Shikaku was impressed, not many could oust a Yamanaka when they used their kekkei genkai on them.

“She also forced me into submission with her sword and cut my neck for me.” He laughed. “She healed me right after though.”

“Hum.” Shikaku said as he watched Sakura dance with Obito.

Sakura was short but not as short as Obito and they looked out of place dancing together. He noticed he wasn’t the only one watching the pink haired beauty on the dance floor though. Several men were watching her, several Uchiha men he noticed, and wondered at that.

“Why were you trying to get into her mind Inoichi?” Shikaku asked, though he could probably guess.

“Danzo is suspicious of her presence in the Leaf, he thinks she is a spy for Wind or maybe Lightning. The Hokage said he would get him proof that she wasn’t, that he trusts her and he has his reasons for keeping her file classified.” Inoichi shrugged.

“She was a little pissed, but she said she would let me enter her mind and get the proof the council desired, but after the festival and only in the presence of the Hokage and Minato Namikaze.” Inoichi told him.

“Namikaze, I wonder why she wants him there?” Shikaku said rubbing his chin in thought.

“Well, he was there with us when it happened, or rather he showed up asking her if she was alright.” Inoichi said,

“Did he.” Shikaku wondered.

“I left after she agreed to allow me to pick her head, to let the Hokage know of our agreement but her and Minato went back to the dumpling stand together, do you think he likes her? I thought he was with Kushina.” The blonde said as he watched an Uchiha he didn’t know walked up to Obito and Sakura when the song ended.

“Good evening Sakura San, my name is Futamo Uchiha. May I have this next dance?” The dark haired man asked, ignoring Obito as he bristled beside Sakura.

“Of course Uchiha san, I would be delighted.” Sakura smiled kindly at the man.

“Thank you for dancing with me Obito, would you please tell Shikaku I will rejoin him after I dance with Futamo San?” Sakura smiled at Obito who sulked off to where Inoichi and Shikaku were chatting.

“I’ve heard a lot about you Sakura San, Obito seems to have quite the little crush on you.” Futamo told her what she had already known, one hand snaking around her waist while the other sought her hand.

“Yes, I worry that he might be a little too attached to me.” Her laughter was light and airy as he led her around the dance floor.

“He says you killed an Iwa nin before the rest of his team even sensed he was there, that you punched a boulder the size of a small house into dust and healed his crushed ankle on the spot with very little scaring and no last damage.” He persisted.

“Ah, well, yes. It’s what I am trained to do.” Her smile was less airy and more forced this time.

Sakura knew the Uchiha well, and knew there was something this man wanted from her and it wasn’t another dance.

“What is your last name Sakura San, if I might be so bold. What clan are you from?” Futamo asked.

Here we go, Sakura sighed internally.

“I am not from a clan Uchiha San.” She used his clan name purposefully.

“I apologize, but my last name is classified. I am not allowed to give it out, by order of the Hokage.” She smiled sweetly at him.

“Really, how interesting...and unusual.” He murmured as they stepped back and off the dancefloor when the song had ended.

“Thank you for the dance Futamo San, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Sakura inclined her head to the man who looked surprised that she was dismissing him so easily.

“The pleasure was mine, Sakura San.” He bowed at the waist to her, much to her surprise.

“Would you do me the continued honor of having lunch with me tomorrow, in the Uchiha district?” He spoke clearly and very publicly. Several heads turned to look at them.

How could she say no...her eyes narrowed at him to let him know she knew exactly what he was doing.

“I would be delighted. Uchiha San.” She inclined her head to him, refusing to bow to him as he had her.

Futamo smirked, “I will pick you up from your apartment at noon then, enjoy the rest of the festival Sakura San, and thank you, for the dance.”

Sakura nodded and walked back to Shikaku and Inoichi, her jaw slightly clenched. She had other things to do than to have lunch with an Uchiha in the Uchiha district, but one of the things on her list was to assist in promoting healthy relationships among the Uchiha with the rest of the village, she sighed, it was the least she could do.

“Whatever did we do for entertainment and gossip before you came back to the village Sakura?” Shikaku teased her while Inoichi laughed out loud.

“Ugh.” Sakura put her hands on her hips, which made both men laugh even harder.

“Would you like to dance Sakura, or we could get something to eat now if you like?” Shikaku asked.

“Food sounds great, and maybe after that we could dance?” She smiled at him, it was only fair she saved a dance for him, he was her date.

“Sounds like a plan. Inoichi, we’ll see you later, have a good time.” He took Sakura’s hand and tucked it into his arm as they walked toward the center of the market.

“You seem more relaxed tonight.” Shikaku commented as they walked.

“I’m getting used to the crush of humanity again.” She laughed.

“Inoichi told me what happened today in a little more detail. I hope you don’t hold it against him. He is a good guy.” Shikaku spoke on his friend’s behalf.

“I know. I should have expected it. It angered me because it surprised me, but like I said, I should have known better.” She waved it off, it didn’t matter anymore as far as she was concerned.

“I can see why my looking into your background bothered you. I’m sorry.” He said sincerely.

“I understand.” She had already forgiven him.

Shikaku dropped the subject in favor of ordering some shioyaki for both of them.

“The fireworks should be starting soon. Would you like to go to the cliffs now and eat while we wait for them to start?” He asked her.

“Sounds great.” She nodded and they started the long walk up the side of the cliff using the stairs by the gardens.

“This is really nice Shikaku, thank you for asking me to go to the festival with you. I’m glad I didn’t stay home.” She said sincerely.

Shikaku’s heart pulsed in his chest, she looked so very beautiful with the light breeze pushing and pulling at her curls, and her eyes were bright from the exercise of dancing, her cheeks flushed.

“Thank you for coming with me Sakura.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, very lightly, and smiled.


	21. Chapter 21

Minato ran from rooftop to rooftop ignoring the festival below. He had passed two Anbu who had nodded to him as he passed but that had been all. The lack of security bothered him greatly. Honestly, he had thought there would be twice as many Anbu and regular shinobi on security detail considering the war had only been over for a week or two.

He scanned ahead, careful to keep his own chakra masked as he looked beyond the walls of the village. He could feel Sakura and Shikaku on the cliffs behind him and the faint chakra of the Hokage in the village square. He didn’t have time to focus on that though. There was another chakra, ahead, just over the rise of the forest tops, it was both familiar and not familiar at the same time. It was his other self he was sure. He took a deep breath and leapt over the wall of the village.

“After the fireworks, do you think we could go back to the village proper? The Hokage is going to make an announcement and I wanted to be there to hear it.” Sakura asked as she packed away their trash from their meal.

“Of course. Do you know what it is about? I had heard he had decided to add to his original Spring Festival speech after it had already been written, much to the annoyance of his secretary.” Shikaku laughed.

“He is honoring the Uchiha and their recent efforts in the war. No clan lost more members than the Uchiha, and they were the first clan on the front lines to defend the village every time in every battle.” She said.

“It is only propper that he give them special thanks and offer them public recognition.” Sakura said as she watched the sky waiting for the fireworks to start.

“So it is, though some might disagree with you.” Shikaku said, watching her face.

“What do you mean?” Sakura looked at Shikaku with surprise.

“Not everyone likes the Uchiha.” He said.

“Many are suspicious of them because they monopolize the police force and hardly leave their compound to mingle with the rest of the village.” He said it as a fact, but didn’t say what his own personal thoughts on the matter were.

“I can't deny that, however, I wonder if they know that it was the second Hokage’s idea for them to segregate themselves, that he is the one who suggested the police force be limited to the Uchiha clan? It was his way of controlling them, his way of segregating them from the rest of the village.” She said.

“No, I don’t think that many are aware of that, in fact I am surprised that you are aware of that, having been out of the village for the last three years.” He said.

“The tension between the Uchiha and the village never truly died out since the village’s founding. Tobirama Sama along with many of the clan heads of the time never learned to trust the Uchiha, even after the village had been formed.” She said.

“The war may have been over but the hate remained.” Sakura sighed, it was an age old argument.

“HIstory repeats itself.” She said and turned her head toward him, smiling slightly.

“You seem to be very invested in the Uchiha clan.” Shikaku observed.

“I am invested in the continued success of the village and fear that the continued segregation of the clans, particularly the Uchiha will cause discontent and conflict that the village may not be able to recover from.” She said honestly.

Shikaku was the clan heir to the Nara clan, a very old and prominent clan, one of the first to settle with the Senju and the Uchiha when the village was formed. HIs voice among the many would be essential and she wanted both his support and his opinion on the matter.

Shikaku looked out over the village. She hadn’t told him anything he hadn’t already thought about himself or hadn’t discussed with the Akimichi or the Yamanaka clan already. 

The issue wasn’t as singular as people tended to think however, there were a number of different factors involved, the Uchiha was only the base factor among many. The other...was power.

“You know, there are many, shinobi and civilians alike that believe the Uchiha only joined the village because Madara was defeated by Hashirama Sama and Izuna was killed by Tobirama Sama.” He said.

“That isn’t true though.” She said quickly.

“How do you know? I’m not disagreeing with you, but you sound so certain, as if you were there, which is impossible of course. So what is it that makes you so sure that isn’t why the Uchiha joined the Senju and helped found the village?” He was curious, she spoke with such conviction.

Sakura couldn’t tell him about the fourth shinobi war, or that she had been privy to the First and Second Hokage’s journals as the apprentice to the Fifth Hokage.

“I just know.” She knew it wasn’t an acceptable answer, but it was the only one she could give him.

Shikaku looked at her for a moment, she was serious, and for a second, briefly, he could almost believe her sitting there beside him, her eyes clear and direct, her voice strong, her shoulders straight...he felt...maybe she did know. He smiled.

“I don’t think that will convince anyone beyond myself.” He laughed.at himself.

“I know, I wish I could explain it better, but it’s just...I don’t know, a hunch I suppose you could call it.” She shrugged.

“It seems the Uchiha have taken an interest in you, just as you have taken an interest in them.” Shikaku recalled Futamo.

Sakura rolled her eyes. “If you are referring to Futamo Uchiha, he is only interested in me because Obito over embellished my skills when I helped Team Minato at the Kannabi Bridge. He wanted to know what clan I was from and what my last name was.”

“He also made it impossible for me to turn him down for lunch, asking me so loudly and publicly like that. If I had said no, it would have caused a scene. Very sneaky of him and I didn’t appreciate it.” She almost growled.

“Will you go?” he asked.

“I kinda have to don’t I?” She almost laughed, it was ridiculous.

“I’m not a politician, I don’t like playing the part, but if I didn’t go, it would make the Uchiha look poorly and that isn’t my goal.” She said.

“What is your goal?” Shikaku asked her seriously.

She tapped her finger against her leg, “I want the Uchiha clan to get the respect they deserve. Madara did a lot for the village that wasn’t written in our history books. The clan as a whole did a lot that they have never been recognized for. Other clans were recognized for all of their efforts, the Uchiha deserve to be recognized for theirs as well. It isn’t a goal, just my opinion.”

Shikaku nodded, he saw the validity of her statement but still, he wondered at her evident passion for a clan that was vastly unpopular and that she didn’t seem to have any social ties to. She continued to be an enigma to him, but he didn’t mind...in fact, he quite liked it.

“You’re a very unusual kunoichi.” He took her hand from her lap and drew her closer to him, not quite pulling her up into his lap but so that their legs touched one another where they came into contact and they could share their body heat with one another.

“I suppose I am.” She smiled up at him.

“It surprised me when Inoichi told me you were willing to let him use his kekkei genkai on you.” He looked down at her.

“I wonder though, why did you request for him to perform his jutsu in the presence of the Lord Third and Minato?”

“Witnesses are essential for the proof that the council needs, the proof that Danzo is requesting. The Lord Third knows me and trusts me but his word won’t be enough, nor will Inoichi I'm afraid, not when dealing with Danzo. I requested Minato’s presence because he is well known and well respected. He is the hero of the third war, no one would dare question his loyalty, or his word.” She said as though it should have been obvious.

“Ah, I understand. I thought perhaps, you and he...we aren’t exclusive so…” He stopped, not sure how to say what he was thinking.

“No, we aren’t, but I haven’t been on a date with anyone else if that’s what you’re asking.” She told him.

“I know Minato is interested in me, he told me himself but I told him I wasn’t sure how I felt about him.” She said looking down at their linked fingers.

“I will tell you, I like being here with you and I liked our other dates as well.” She smiled up at him, he looked relieved.

“Now that has been said, I have a question for you.” She cocked her head to the side so she could look at him better.

“Are you interested in Yoshino?”

“Yoshino?” Shikaku asked, surprised, then blushed.

“We aren't together anymore, if that’s why this is coming up.” He assured her.

‘Interesting’, she thought to herself, look at how flustered he’s getting.

“I mean, we stopped dating about a month ago.” He continued.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him...he was stuttering and blushing.

“So two weeks before you asked me to dinner?” She asked, watching him squirm.

“Well, I suppose but I don’t, I mean, she knows it is over, that I’m dating you, I mean, that we have been on a few dates.” He said quickly.

“She does?” Sakura asked curiously, Kushina had led her to believe she didn’t know and she had been under the impression that Yoshino and Shikaku hadn’t dated at all, interesting.

“I told her when I ran into her the other day at the market. She asked how I had been and what I had been up to.” he said.

“And your reply was to tell her you were dating me only a week after your break up with her?” Sakura felt sorry for Yoshino.

“I didn’t say it like that, just that you were new to the village and we had lunch a couple times is all.” He looked guilty.

“Hum.” Sakura looked at him.

“I suppose I could have handled it a little better.” He admitted.

“Men.” Sakura muttered under her breath.

Minato dropped down from his tree beside the river. It was clear the man knew he was there and had been waiting for him to come out of his hiding spot for the last thirty minutes.

“So nice of you to finally join me...Minato.” The Namikaze by the fire greeted him with a smirk.

“So, what Madara said is true, you’re me.” Minato said as he sat down across from the other Namikaze.

“Yes and no. I’m you, but better.”

“Is that so.” Minato said calmly.

“Absolutely, I’m free, in a way you will never be.”

“Care to explain that to me?” Minato asked.

“I’d be happy to.” The other Namikaze smiled. “What did you do last night?”

“What? What does that have to do with how you are free, inferring I’m not.” Minato asked annoyed.

“It has everything to do with how I’m free and you’re not. I wouldn’t have had to drug her to get what I wanted, and I wouldn’t have stopped until I got what I wanted. You trap yourself with rules, etiquette and social norms. I don’t have that problem because I simply don’t care anymore.” The other Namikaze said with a grin.

Minato didn’t say anything.

“I am you...without restraint and by the way your sealing jutsu doesn’t work on me, so don’t bother asking how I know what you did last night. I watched the whole thing. She’s quite sexy isn’t she, even more so when she is begging for you to stop.”

Minato narrowed his eyes at the man before him, that looked just like him.

“I care about her.” Minato said. “I respect her.”

“She told me what happened by the river, what is it you want with her, what is she to you?” Minato asked.

“I don’t want her, I want her chakra, she has a chakra that is unlike any others in the world, in any world, I’m collecting it. Other than that, I don’t want anything from her. I fuck them after I take thier chakra then leave them , or kill them depending on how much they fight me on it, each one is different.” The Namikaze scratches his chin as if in thought.

“The last one was rather weak, but it saited my lust for a time, now this one...I can tell, she is a fighter, well worth my pursuit.” He added.

“What is she to you, just a chakra vessel?” Minato was disgusted with his other self.

“They, not she. There is only one Sakura Haruno, mine, and she is gone now...because of Madara Uchiha. No, not the one you have met, not the one that is in the cave in the Valley of the End, no, the Madara from my time. He killed her, because she refused him.” The Namikaze said without feeling.

“You are not the only Minato who loves her and he is not the only Madara obsessed with her.” Namikaze said. “We are however the only dimensional travelers that I have seen so far, looking for her.”

“Why tell me this, what’s the point in telling me?” Minato asked.

“I want to make a deal. Let me have her chakra, and I will let you have the woman.” Namikaze said.

“What if I say no, and it isn’t my choice anyway, Sakura would never agree to such an arrangement.” Minato knew she wouldn’t.

“Then I will take her chakra and have to kill her, as you said, she will never agree to give her chakra to me. The last one that was as strong as she was, almost killed me.” He laughed as though it was a fond memory.

Minato was silent. The man wanted his help, he wasn’t sure if he could take Sakura’s chakra from her on his own...what’s more, he knew that he, Minato was on her side as well as the Madara that was in the cave in the Valley of the End, three against one.

“Or you could leave, forget about this Sakura. Madara is here, I am here, she has friends in the village including the Third Hokage, all of whom would protect her. Surely one Sakura won’t make a difference.” Minato tried his hand.

The other namikaze sighed, “You don’t get it do you? I’m not leaving here without her chakra, not every dimension I go to has one of her in it and I need to complete the draw.”

Minato didn’t understand. A thought occurred to him. “Do you have a limited contract?”

“Yes and no. I have an extended contract, not limited.” The Namikaze said cryptically.

“Why offer her to me then? Why offer me this deal?” Minato asked.

“Because, I know what it is like to lose her.” The other Namikaze said simply.

Minato nodded, “Let me think about it.”

Sakura could feel the slightest tug in the back of her mind, she could sense something behind her but couldn’t tell exactly what it was. It wasn’t strong enough to be a chakra signature she didn’t think, but it was...something, small and...present. She turned her head and looked behind her, but of course nothing was there. A small cold shiver went up her back, like she was being watched...but no one was there, she was almost positive they were alone.

She looked at Shikaku who smiled at her, then back behind her again.

“What is it?” He looked behind them to see what she was looking at.

“Do you, get the feeling we are being watched?” She asked him quietly.

Shikaku looked behind them again and then around the clearing of the cliff side. “No.”

He looked back at her.

Sakura laughed, she must be paranoid. “Okay, sorry. It must just be me.”

“Would you like to move? You shouldn’t ignore your instincts. I don’t see anything but you never know.” He smiled at her and she nodded.

“I’m sorry, I feel silly but, I just have this weird feeling someone is watching me.” She got up off of the ground picking up their small bag of trash and her puppet she had won earlier at the rubber kunai stand.

“Let me get that for you.” Shikaku took the bag of trash from her, the puppet’s arms clacked together, and that's when it occurred to her.

Chakra strings. She turned quickly, pulling her senbon from her sleeves and shot them out into the trees behind them.

She could feel it now, an unusual chakra signature, faint, a masked signature but not completely undetectable.

They heard a muffled exclamation, then a crash..she flickered away into the woods leaving Shikaku to his own devices and landed inches from her target, a boy...with red hair and amber eyes.

“Sasori.” Her voice left her lips almost soundlessly, her whole body trembled.


	22. Chapter 22

Sakura stood still, her eyes fixed on the boy in front of her. “Sasori?”

“So, you do know me…” His voice was lighter, younger and with good reason, he was younger, fourteen maybe.

“I...we’ve...I don’t know you but.” She knew she wasn’t making any sense, but she couldn’t form her thoughts, much less her words.

“You’re lying. How do you know me?” It was a command.

“From another life.” She whispered, her knees moved on their own, she hit the ground and spun avoiding the kunai on the end of his chakra string by a hair.

“It seems the report was accurate, you are a very skilled kunoichi, but I’m better.” He pulled a scroll from his waist and Salamander appeared before her moving quickly.

“Salamander!” Sakura hissed just as Shikaku broke through the line of trees to join them.

“Sakura are you alright?” Shikaku asked, throwing three kunai at Salamander that simply bounced off of its outer protective layers.

“Shikaku get back, it’s a puppet, don’t underestimate it!” She called to him as she leapt into the air to draw Salamander and Sasori away from Shikaku.

“So you do know me kunoichi.” Sasori’s drawling voice was the same, only he didn’t sound bored this time and was much more expressive than she remembered, but of course, he wasn’t a puppet yet.

“Tell me, how did you survive my poison, I know you were hit with one of the kunai that was coated with a poison of my own design.” He demanded.

“Not telling.” She said deflecting Salamanders' attempt to ground her with a chakra infused punch to it’s head.

The puppet went flying, it’s chakra strings broken. Sasori quickly attached more strings to it and sent it after her again, blades out. Sakura flipped backward onto a tree and dodged it with ease. Sasori’s eyes narrowed , he pulled back his middle and pinky finger, Salamander turned in mid air and flew at Shikaku.

“No!” Sakura flickered in front of Shikaku, Salamander’s blade piercing her through the forearm, in between her two major bones , a flick of Sasori’s finger and the blade retreated.

Sasori smirked, “Not quite as skilled as I thought it seems.”

“As. Arrogant. As. Ever. It. Seems.” Sakura gasped as the poison flooded her body, her fingers fumbling at her waist.

She pulled the vial from her obi and uncorked it, tipping its contents into her mouth and swallowing. She fell to her knees gasping for air.

“Sakura!” Shikaku was calling her name but her eyes were closing.

Sasori had watched her pull the antidote from her obi in fascination, he watched her drink it and fall to the ground, the little vial still in her left hand. He sent a chakra string out and attached it to the vial, flicking his finger and pulling it into his possession.

“I will see you again soon, kunoichi.” Before Shikaku could rise from beside Sakura, the boy was gone.

Minato felt her chakra spike and flare. With one last look at the ‘other Namikaze, he flickered away.

Sasori leapt from tree to tree, his eyes widened at the sight of the two Yellow Flashes, he could tell they were not clones and that their chakra was slightly different from one anothers. One flashed away while the other met his eyes as he ran by. ‘Interesting’, Sasori thought as he continued on his way, it didn’t matter, he had gotten what he had come for.

Minato flickered into existence behind Sakura using his formula on the back of her neck, turned, and fell to his knees beside her. “Sakura!”

“She took an antidote I think, we were being spied on, a Sand nin, I think it was Sasori of the Red Sand, they...Minato, I don’t know how this is possible but, they seemed to know one another.” Shikaku said to the blonde.

“I need to get her home.” Minato flickered away, Sakura in his arms.

Shikaku stood there, alone in the woods behind the cliffs. The fireworks had just started, one then two exploded behind him, he turned to look...blinking twice then leapt from the cliff face to the village below, he needed to find the Hokage.

Sakura fell from his arms onto the floor of his apartment.

“I’m sorry Sakura.” Minato picked her back up and laid her in his bed.

“Minato.” She opened her eyes.

“I’m sorry, I keep doing this to you.” She tried to laugh but failed miserably.

“What happened?” He asked her sitting down on the bed beside her.

“Sasori, he knew, that Sand nin, the missing one who ran when I was attacked before, he told him about me and…” She closed her eyes in pain, she was getting tired again.

“He would want to know, if I survived his poison, I thought, he might come but...I never guessed he would come into the walls of Konoha to find me.” She admitted.

“My antidote, he took the vial, he’ll know now, that I made an antidote to his poison. I heard him...he’ll be back. He’ll want me dead, or to know how I made an antidote to his poison, like last time...he barely believed me last time.” She doubled up again in pain and gasped for breath.

When the wave of pain had passed, she pushed her healing chakra to her hand and moved it slowly over her forearm where Salamander’s blade had gone through her skin and in between her two bones. She healed the wound over, it wasn’t the same poison as before, in fact she hoped she was correct, it was a weaker poison if she wasn’t mistaken.

He hadn’t come to kill her then...

“Water, please Minato.” She asked.

“Of course.” He went to the kitchen and filled a glass with water for her.

“Here.” He held the glass to her lips while she drank.

“Thank you.” She laid back down on his bed and closed her eyes.

“I’m going to miss the Hokage’s speech.” She said mournfully.

“I really wanted to hear him tell the village how important the Uchiha Clan was to the Leaf.” She said regretfully.

“I’m sure we can hear about it from others, get some rest. I’ll be here if you need me.” Minato pulled a blanket up over her body and tucked her in with a little kiss on her forehead.

“Thank you, again, Minato.” She smiled at him, eyes half closed.

“Anything for you Sakura.” He whispered looking down at her.

Just like before she woke a few hours later, and like before she pulled out two soldier pills from her pack and chewed them quickly, then swallowed them with a face.

“Feeling better? You look a little better than you did last time, does that mean you are getting used to it?” He asked her.

“No, I don’t think the poison he used this time was nearly as potent, he wasn’t trying to kill me, he wanted information out of me.” She told him her thoughts on what had happened.

“He took my vial, the one with the red antidote, with his symbol on it, he’ll know. He’ll know I made it specifically to counter his poisons, he’ll be back.” She said.

Minato frowned. What if the Puppet Master came back and she didn’t have her chakra, he would kill her...and it would be Minato’s fault. She wouldn’t be able to protect herself. He had thought of tricking her, had thought of manipulating her into giving the ‘other’ minato her chakra but he knew he couldn’t, one, she was far too intelligent for that, and second, his pride wouldn’t let him.

He needed to speak with Madara again, and maybe Sakura should go with him.

“He’ll want to know how you came up with an antidote for a poison you supposedly never encountered before.” Minato understood.

“Exactly.” She said combing her fingers through her hair.

“Where is Shikaku, is he alright?” She asked Minato remembering the Nara.

“He’s fine, I left him in the woods after Sasori left, I came back here with you but felt him head off toward the market. I assume he is letting the Hokage know what happened on the cliffside woods.” He told her.

“Sakura, I have something to tell you.” He folded his hands together.

“I went looking for the other Minato tonight while everyone was at the festival. I found him. He told me that...he wants your chakra. He wanted to make a deal with me, he knows I care for you. He offered you to me, to let you live if I let him steal your chakra.” He watched her.

“I didn’t answer him. I left him sitting by the river. I think...I think we should go see Madara, before he leaves. He might have some suggestions on how to get rid of this other Minato.” Minato said in a hurry at her expression.

“Wait, Madara is leaving?” She asked.

“Yes, didn’t he tell you?” Minato had assumed the man would tell her.

“No.” She threw her feet over the side of his bed and stood up stretching a bit.

“I’ll be right back.” She flickered into her apartment.

Since she had decided to stay in his time, she had thought about what Madara had told her, how he was looking for his little brother, for his happiness and how he had traveled to dimension after dimension looking for one similar to his own but that it was like a lottery every time he traveled and he never knew what he would find.

Sakura had a traveler's scroll with a clause, to send her to the next dimension, the closest to her own. It was an open ended contract without limits, which meant...she could give it to someone else and she wanted to give it to Madara, she wanted him to find his happiness.

She kicked up the loose plank in her flooring and found the scroll. She hid it in her obi and flickered back to Minato’s apartment.

“It isn’t too late, we should go see him now.” She looked at him expectantly.

“Now?” He asked her looking out the window he knew the other Minato was out there, he was hesitant.

“I need to see him now, it’s important Minato, he can’t leave before I talk to him.” She insisted.

Minato grimaced a little bit but gave in at the threatening look in her eye. He knew if he refused she would just leave and go on her own...and that...couldn’t happen.

“Fine, let’s go.” He took her by the hand and they flickered to the Valley of the End.

Madara looked up from his fire in surprise at the two chakra signatures that hovered just outside of his barrier. He made the hand signs and watched as Sakura and Minato entered the cave behind the water.

“Sakura, this is a surprise. Minato, what brings you here?” He asked them.

“Minato told me you were leaving. Were you even going to say goodbye to me?” She asked annoyed.

“I have found that it is always best if I never say goodbye to you, you tend to try to stop me from leaving.” He smiled at her.

“Oh.” She kicked at the dirt by her foot.

“I wanted to give you something.” She held out her travel scroll to him.

He looked down at it. “Why are you giving me this, remember I told you, as long as you have that contract he can’t kill you, but if you give that to me, there is nothing to stop him from killing you.”

“He doesn’t know she has it though, I met with him earlier, he threatened to kill her if I didn’t help him steal her chakra.” Minato butt in.

“Ah, so that’s how he wants to do it this time.” Madara sat down on his rock and looked at them.

“Do you think you’re the first Namikaze he approached for assistance?” Madara smirked at his nativity.

“I didn’t say I would help him.” Minato said evenly.

“No, you told him you would think about it.” Madara shot out of his mouth.

“What?” Sakura turned on Minato.

“How do you know what I said?” MInato asked Madara, ignoring Sakura’s angry tone for the moment.

Madara tapped his eyes that spun and glowed red. “Mangekyou sharingan, with my near limitless chakra I can see farther than any Uchiha in the history of our clan, read lips of course and record it for later. I know you met with the other ‘you’, I was watching. I also know about your run in with Sasori.” He turned to Sakura, who was still glaring at Minato.

“You were going to betray me?” Sakura demanded an answer from Minato.

“No, but I didn’t want him to know that yet, in case I needed to get more information out of him.” She looked at him skeptically.

“You don’t have to believe me but it’s the truth.” He said and turned back to Madara. “You can’t take her scroll from her, he’ll kill her.”

Sakura pulled her heated gaze from Minato to look at Madara, she closed the distance between them and bent to set the scroll in his hands. She pressed it down firmly with her chakra when he tried to give it back to her.

“My scroll has a clause in it, to take me to the next dimension that is the closest to my original and everytime I jump, it is to take me to the next closest dimension to my original and so on and so forth.” She smiled at him.

“I want you to have it Madara, I want you to find your happiness.” She smiled into his face that had gone blank with surprise, it made him look so much younger than he already looked. She smiled again at him.

“Your scroll has a finder’s clause? How, who gave you this scroll?” He had never asked her before.

“Naruto. He said it had been in his family for years, generations I think.” She looked back at Minato who had stayed silent.

“Now, tell me, what will you do… you must know I won’t give that man my chakra and now I have given my scroll to Madara, what will you do?” She asked him.

“You underestimate my feelings for you Sakura.” Minato’s eyes bore into hers.

Madara had opened the scroll and was reading through it, he looked up at them now and interrupted their standoff.

“I’ve never seen a travel scroll like this before, this is unbelievable Sakura, no wonder you thought this was your dimension.” A smile of pure euphoria broke out across his face.

“I will go now but first, I want to repay your kindness. I know what you have been doing for the Uchiha clan of this world, I know about your list in your obi.” he looked down at her waist.

“Hold out your hand, only one of them. I’m going to place my hand over your heart.” He told her.

“What are you going to do?” She asked as she held out her hand to him, palm up.

“I’m going to give you some of my chakra. I have more than enough to make the next trip into the next dimension, and if what this scroll says is correct, it will be my last. There is a time line skip in it, I can go back in time, I can prevent both of their deaths.” He said confidently.

“You’ll need all of your chakra for that though.” She started to protest.

Madara shook his head, “Each time one of your other selves is killed or dies, you gain their chakra and each time one is born, you lose chakra.” He explained.

“I’ll be fine.” He assured her and took her hand in his and placed his other hand over her heart.

Madara’s hands began to glow and she felt his warm smooth chakra flowing into her own, medling, mixing and forming something new, something stronger. She could feel the energy of the earth in her bones, she could feel the tingling on her skin where their hands touched.

“Madara…” Her voice seemed so small to her own ears, as though she were underwater or very far away.

“Sakura, open your eyes.” Madara said to her softly and she did, there was a pulling sensation behind her head, and a pulsating glow around her eyes, they felt hot and burned.

Lifting her free hand to her face she felt a wetness, a warm sticky wet sliding down her cheeks...blood.

“What?” She began but stopped to look at Minato who had gasped.

“Sakura ...your eyes.” Minato’s own eyes were wide as he looked into hers.

Every detail, every line in his face was heightened, she could see more clearly than ever before, she looked at Madara who was smiling at her, his hand still on her chest, his hand still holding hers.

“The Uzumaki clan, your descendants are also loosely descended from the Senju clan. When Uchiha blood and Senju blood mix, the rinnegan is formed.” He explained.

“Congratulations Sakura, you’ve awakened your rinnegan. That other Minato won’t be an issue now, nor will the Puppet master.” Madara grinned and let go of her hand and removed his other hand from her heart.


	23. Chapter 23

“The rinnegan.” Sakura stood in front of her mirror in her apartment and examined her eyes.

‘Madara’s rinnegan’, she pulled her eyelids apart to examine them more closely, no “My rinnegan.” She spoke out loud.

She frowned at her reflection. It had all happened so quickly last night. Her and Minato had gone to speak with Madara in hopes of finding some sort of weakness or trick to defeat the ‘Evil’ Minato as she had started to call him, but instead, had come back with a fully awakened rinnegan.

“Uzumaki?” She had asked. “I’m an Uzumaki?”

Madara had nodded, “It is several generations back but you have their chakra, my Sakura, my wife, she had it too. That’s how I know you also have Wind release affinity.”

“I was married to you? I mean, one of me was married to you?” She blinked at him in disbelief.

“Yes.” He looked at her, and now she understood. “Oh.”

Madara sighed. “I had thought, I had found a replacement, that I had found her again in you but I know now that you are not the one I am looking for.” His eyes shifted to Minato.

“It’s funny, love. It never works out the way you think it will.” He turned and picked up his bag. “I’ll be going now. Thank you Sakura, you’ve renewed my hope. It seems like I have a chance still, after all.”

“Wait, if what you said is true and I have no doubt now, “ She lifted her fingers to her new eyes, “Then I can give you the rinnegan too, can’t I?” She asked, pulling at his sleeve.

“I’m not sure it works like that. Ideally yes but I have already infused my chakra into you so your chakra now contains too much of my own to awaken the rinnegan.” He smiled at her.

“Oh.” She looked sad and he continued to smile at her.

“You’ve done more than enough for me already though.” He raised the scroll she had given him in his hands then paused.

“If it doesn’t work out or if something happens, take this one. I don’t need two.” He pressed his scroll into her hands.

“But.” She started to protest.

“If you don’t use it, someone else might, but it is good to have and like I said. I don’t need two. Good luck Sakura.” He bent and kissed her on the cheek. “Good bye.”

Minato put his arm around her shoulders and they watched him walk toward the entrance of the cave.

“Good luck Madara. I hope you find them again.” She whispered and he disappeared from their sight.

“He’s gone.” A tear slipped down one side of her cheek.

Minato nodded, “Come on, let’s get back to the village.”

“Wait. There’s something I need to do.” She bit her lip.

“What is it?” Minato asked, looking down at her.

“I can’t go back to the village with rinnegan, do you know what kind of havoc that would cause?” She rolled her new eyes at him and he laughed.

“I suppose you’re right.” he agreed.

“Let me just, think for a moment.” She said concentrating hard, pushing her chakra to her new eyes and willing her natural green pigmentation to resurface.

Minato watched her struggle to revive her natural eye color. “It’s working, keep trying, it’s fading in and out back to the purple.” He encouraged her.

Sakura took several deep breaths and calmed her breathing, her heart beat and focused on the flow of chakra swirling throughout her body. Madara’s chakra had been considerably stronger than her own, but it wasn’t as strong as Kurama’s chakra, which she had already had in her, thanks to Naruto.

Slowly, she evened out the flow of chakra running through her coils to her eyes as Sasuke had told her he had to do with his rinnegan and mangekyou in order to use them simultaneously. She opened her eyes and looked at Minato.

“Amazing Sakura, you’re amazing. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think you were going to be able to do it.” He grinned at her.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence!” She mock stern grumpily at him, but her wide and joyous smile ruined it.

“Sakura.” Minato looked at her seriously and tucked a thick lock of her hair back and behind her ear, “Do you know what this means?” He asked her.

“What?” She asked.

“There isn’t anything you can’t do now, do you realize that? The rinnegan is from the Sage of Six Paths. You can control the Sage of Six Paths techniques!” He exclaimed excitedly.

“I suppose. It hasn’t really sunk in yet I guess.” She recalled Pein and his abilities, the devastation he had wrought on Konoha of her time before the truth had come out about his origins and before Naruto had convinced him his way was not the true way to peace.

Sakura focused her chakra behind her eyes and pushed her hand out, “Almighty push.” She said.

The rock Madara had been previously sitting on shot out of the cave, through the waterfall to crash into the lake below with a huge splash.

“Sakura.” Minato looked from the waterfall back to where the rock had been , to her eyes, that hadn’t changed from their green to the purple when she had used the technique.

“Sakura, your eyes didn’t change, yet you used your rinnegan…” He couldn’t control his excitement anymore and grasped her by the hands.

“No one has to know, your eyes, when you use them do you understand, they won’t give you away!” He said, his hold on her hands tight in his excitement, his eyes wide and imploring.

“This is too much, this is too much power Minato, what if, what if I can’t control it?” She bit her lip.

“You can, you will, you just need to practice, to get used to it.” He had full confidence in her and couldn’t think of a more worthy person to have such a power.

Sakura nodded slowly. “I want to go back to the village. We need to tell the Lord Third about the dimensional travel and where I’m from. I...I don’t want to tell him about...I mean, I don’t think it would be wise to tell him about my rinnegan Minato.” 

Minato agreed completely, “I know, it will remain between us, for now, but eventually, you know, someone will find out, something will happen where you’ll be forced to use it, and then, he’ll know.” Minato warned.

“Hopefully everything I need to do will be completed by then and it won’t be a problem.” She tried to smile at him.

“What is it you need to do?” He asked her curiously. “Is that the list Madara spoke of, the one in your obi?” He looked at her waist curiously.

“You know where I’m from. I had come here looking to change my future and the future of my world but found a different dimension instead. Now that I’ve decided to stay, I’m going to make sure the mistakes of my past aren’t repeated in this one’s future.” She said simply.

“Who are you going to kill?” He asked her with a small twitch of his mouth.

“Uh.” She hesitated.

“If you tell me, I might help you.” He grinned at her.

“If I tell you, you might try to stop me.” She pointed out.

“I can’t blame you for questioning me, but have you stopped to think about what Madara has said to you? I’ve thought about what he has said to me. Did he tell you?, in other dimensions, you and I...were married, Sakura. Why do you think he left? He knew he wasn’t going to find his happiness here with you.” He bent his head and kissed the top of her hair.

“Trust me.” He hugged her to his body.

“I don’t want the Hokage to know, he’ll try to stop me.” She said.

Minato nodded. He was quite aware of the Hokage’s sympathies and weaknesses.

“I’m just doing what needs to be done...for Konoha, for all of us.” She said.

“You’re still trying to convince me, do you think the elite of Konoha are ignorant, do you think we don’t have our own misgivings, that we can’t see the darker side of the village Sakura?” He asked her.

“I didn’t, in my time...I never knew what happened behind the scenes, the plotting, the animosity.” She admitted.

“From what I gather, you were young, and then war broke out, it is understandable, but here, in this time I know at least, not everyone is oblivious to the Hokage’s affection for his deranged former pupil for instance, or to the fact that Danzo repeatedly speaks out against him and is never punished or put in his place for his insubordination.” Minato told her.

“So tell me, does anything I’ve said have anything to do with that list of yours?” He asked her, one blonde eyebrow raised a humorous glint to his eye.

“Oh.” She said, feeling foolish.

Sakura looked back at her reflection in the mirror and her eyes faded back to the Spring green from the lavender of the rinnegan. They had gone back to the village that night to find Shikaku had already told the Hokage about their run-in with Sasori. 

Minato and Sakura filled in the blanks in The Hokage's office. Shikaku’s eyes had grown wider and wider until the end of the conversation. Inoichi had tapped him on the shoulder when the Hokage had dismissed them. Shikaku had looked at Sakura, there was curiosity and maybe a little hurt in his eyes. She had looked away from him and walked out of the office with Minato.

Minato had walked her back to her apartment and kissed her goodnight on her cheek. She had sat on her couch, she could feel Inoichi and Shikaku walking slowly back to their compounds together. Her heart sank. She couldn’t have told him, she knew he knew that, he would understand but a part of her still felt guilty, a part of her knew she had hurt him by keeping it from him. It wasn’t her fault...he had to know that.

Sakura brushed her hair back from her face, braiding her bangs out of her face to the side and tying the end loosely with black string. She wore black today, a simple shirt and pants in the kunoichi fashion, trimmed with white and a darker blue. She hadn’t planned the colors for her lunch at the Uchiha compound but it was fitting she mused as she checked her hair in the mirror before leaving her bathroom.

She and Minato had come to a quiet arrangement of sorts last night, an understanding. She would let him help her, and he wouldn’t stop her from doing anything he might not agree with or understand. Sakura still wasn’t sure if it had been a good idea letting him in on her...agenda, but it couldn’t be helped, he already knew too much anyway.

Tying her pouches to her belt she picked her short sword up, strapped it to her back and slipped her boots on. With one quick look at the clock on her wall she headed toward the market to buy some flowers.

Thirty minutes later Sakura stood before the memory stone looking down at the names engraved forever in remembrance. Sacrifice, loyalty, honor, the words were carved into the base of the stone, she had looked at them many times both before and after the last war. Only the last time she had looked, there had been too many names to fit on the stone and another had been erected nearby, yet that too, was incomplete.

She hadn’t known all of their names to finish the stone. Did it even matter, she had asked herself, there was no one left to mourn them but herself...and now...there was no one at all, her world was empty, void and deserted.

She bent down and placed the flowers she had purchased at the base of the stone, no tears came...which surprised her. Even a year after her war, she had cried before the stone, in her sleep and in her waking hours. Here though in this world, in this time...no tears came. Did that mean she was healed? That she was ready to move on?

“No”, she thought. It only meant she had things that still needed to be done, she had things she had to do now, people to be responsible for whether they knew it or not. She sighed and turned to go but stopped when her eyes fell on Shikaku, who was standing off to the side in the treeline.

She nodded to him and he stepped out in time with her as she walked away from the memory stone toward the lake. He sat down next to her on ‘their’ bench and they looked out over the water in silence for quite some time.

“I know why you didn’t tell me who you really were. I know you couldn’t even if you had wanted to.” He broke their silence.

“Did you want to though?” He asked her.

“I don’t know. It had never crossed my mind to tell you, only that I couldn’t tell you.” She told him honestly.

He nodded, then smiled at her sighing loudly.

“I was right you know, you are different and you are special.” He looked at her.

“Who was I to you, in your dimension?” He asked her curiously.

Sakura laughed a humorless laugh.

“You were one of my friend’s dad’s, a good friend, a good man, Shikamaru Nara, he looked a lot like you.” She said with a faint smile on her face.

“Ah, so...you were in a different generation.” He leaned back.

“Yes.” She didn’t know what to say, what he wanted to hear.

“And Minato?” He asked what he really wanted to know.

“Was dead, he died the same year I was born, he and Kushina died to save the village, his son...was my teammate, my best friend and like a brother to me.” She said quietly.

“Inoichi’s daughter, Ino, was my best girlfriend, all of us grew up together, Inoichi was like a second father to me.” She smiled at her memories.

“I think, I’m beginning to understand how you feel.” He said.

Sakura gave him a hard look, “Do you?”

Shikaku considered her tone and her fists clenched at her side.

“Maybe not completely.” He amended, “But I see why you acted how you did in the beginning, why you didn’t like crowds, why you never talked about yourself.”

“Why you didn’t like my questions.” He added.

“How much did the Hokage tell you about me?” She needed to know how much he knew.

“Enough to alleviate my curiosity for the time being, enough to explain Akasuna no Sasori’s interest in you and why no one has ever heard of you before.” He said.

“You believe him?” She asked.

He nodded. “Sometimes the logical answer is the most absurd. Facts don’t lie, it was the only possible reason that didn’t fall fault to another conflicting fact.” He said leaning back and letting his arm fall over the back of the bench behind them.

“So what are you going to do? Why are you here?” He asked her.

“I have my reasons, like I told you before, I’m a loyal Konoha nin Shikaku.” She smiled and rose from the bench.

“I apologize, I have to go, I have to have lunch with an Uchiha.” She rolled her eyes and he smiled.

“Enjoy.” He waved as she walked away, his head dropping back so he could watch the clouds.

Sakura’s steps slowed as she approached her apartment building. Futamo was sitting on the steps to her door waiting for her. It wasn’t even noon yet. She plastered a fake diplomatic smile on her face and continued to walk to her door.

“Futamo San, you’re early.” She said as politely as possible.

“Sakura San. I was in the area and happened to finish my business earlier than had been previously anticipated. It is such a beautiful day, I thought I would wait for you here.” He gestured to the steps behind him.

“You knew I wasn’t home.” She stated not missing the meaning of his words.

“I felt your chakra moving about the village.” He confessed.

“Hum.” Sakura looked at the man only a few years older than herself.

“Allow me to set my sword inside my apartment and we can leave for your compound.” She walked up the stairs and opened her apartment, noticing he had followed her and was looking inside.

She set her sword inside the door shutting it abruptly and turning to him. “Ready.”

He smiled at her and offered her his arm, which she took, as was proper etiquette for a lady, she had never liked that custom of the wealthy clans.

She made her protection seals for her apartment one handed as they walked down the road, his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve not seen a kunoichi perform one handed signs before, who taught you?” He asked in what she was sure he assumed to be a polite voice but it came out more condescending than inquisitive.

“No one.” She smirked internally. ‘This was going to be a very long and annoying lunch.’

Several heads turned to watch them as they walked through the market. She noticed he took the longest, most populated route to the compound which was on the other side of the market but there had been two quicker, less congested routes to the compound from her apartment...and they both knew it.

Futamo nodded to the guards at the compound gates and opened the smaller door to the side of the traditional larger gate doors that needed to be opened and closed by two men.

“Why do you keep the main gates of the compound closed, would it not be more welcoming to have them open? Surely you aren’t expecting an attack from inside the village?” She teased.

“The gates are closed for a reason Sakura San.” Futamo said, politely dismissing the topic.

Sakura was not going to waste this lunch. Clearly he had an agenda, but so did she, “And what reason would that be Futamo San?” She asked sweetly.

“Not all Konoha citizens are as welcoming as you are Sakura San.” He said.

“That is not an answer to my question and we both know it.” Sakura raised her voice slightly.

Futamo laughed, it was a pleasant laugh but not what she had been looking for.

“You like to speak your mind don’t you Kunoichi, I can see why Obito is so enthralled with you.” Futamo continued to avoid her question.

“Obito is very open and kind, not nearly as reserved as most Uchiha I have met.” Sakura commented as he led her down the main thoroughfare, in plain sight of any who cared to look, and many did.

“Have you met many Uchiha?” Futamo asked her interested to hear who she might be acquainted with.

“A few.” She kept her answer light.

Sakura had only been to the Uchiha compound once in her time, with Sasuke, and for only five minutes, when he had forgotten his kunai before a mission and Team Seven had to go back and get them with him before a mission.

“The Uchiha compound is very beautiful.” She commented as they walked.

“Is this your first time here?” He asked her.

“I have been here, once, a long time ago.” She confessed and his eyebrows rose considerably.

“When was that and might I ask with whom you were with?” They had stopped in front of a large house while he waited for her to answer.

“It was too long ago to remember.” She waved a hand dismissing the topic.

“Is this your home?” She asked him surprised, it was quite large...and quite grand.

“Yes.” He led her up the wide stairs to the sliding door, opening it and gesturing to her inside.

She took off her shoes and slipped into a pair of guest slippers, followed him down a hall into a wide tea room with a view of the garden.

“How lovely.” She breathed in the scent of lavender and lilies.

Futamo smiled at her pleasure and gestured for her to sit opposite him at an ornate hand carved table.

“This is my favorite room in my home. I often come to sit and look at my garden while enjoying a pot of tea. I find it peaceful and comforting.” He looked out over his garden and smiled a real smile at her.

Sakura was slightly taken aback by this sincere display of emotions from the man. She had assumed he wished to interrogate her in the normal arrogant Uchiha fashion, perhaps she had been mistaken. Belatedly, she recalled Ino complaining that she had been required to have a chaperone with her at all times as the Heir to the Yamanaka clan, that ladies of good breeding never go anywhere alone with a man, kunoichi or not. Sakura looked around, they were clearly alone.

“Excuse me Futamo San, but will there be anyone else joining us for lunch?” She asked.

Futamo smiled at her, “Yes, of course, my sister will be here shortly Sakura San, I apologize, I should have assured you when I asked you, we would not be alone.”

Sakura nodded satisfied with his answer as a servant entered with a tea tray. Sakura noticed that there were only tea settings for two people and she glanced up at Futamo with a suspicious eye but saw that Futamo had also noticed the lack of a third setting.

“Is my sister not joining us?” He asked the servant.

“Lady Kimoko is still visiting with her friend Lady Ushiyo, she sent word that she regrets, but will not be joining you and Lady Sakura for lunch.” The servant bowed out of the room leaving Sakura and Futamo alone.

“I apologize, Sakura San, perhaps we should have lunch in a more public venue, for your reputation's sake.” He rose and offered her a hand.

“Thank you.” She placed her hand in his allowing him to assist her.

Ten minutes later they were seated in a very open, very public cafe in the Uchiha market when a familiar voice echoed throughout the compound.

“Sakura Chan!” Obito Uchiha came tearing around the corner heading straight for them.


	24. Chapter 24

“Sakura Chan!” Obito skidded to a halt in front of her and Futamo, who looked rather annoyed at the interruption.

“Minato Sensei wants you to come quick, it’s Rin, please come quick, she’s hurt and we need you to heal her!” Obito was pulling on her arm dragging her out of her seat.

“Rin? What happened?” Sakura stood and set her napkin on the table looking at Obito.

“Bakashi happened! He hit her with an exploding tree with his chidori!” Obito was pulling harder on her arm.

“I’m sorry Futamo San.” Sakura grabbed Obito by the collar, located Rin and Minato by their chakra and body flickered both Obito and herself to their location.

“Holy crap.” Obito stumbled and fell over when they had appeared beside Rin, Minato and Kakashi.

Sakura fell to her knees beside the girl, she was bleeding from her leg where the skin was shedded, tears streamed down her pale face and her lip quivered.

“It’s going to be okay Rin, look at me okay, look into my eyes.” Sakura commanded.

Rin looked up into the pink haired woman’s eyes and gasped, then fell over, unconscious.

“Sakura Chan! What did you, what did you do to Rin!” Obito asked falling to his knees to take Rin’s head into his lap.

“It’s okay Obito, I just put her under a genjutsu, to calm her.” Sakura pushed chakra into her hands and started to move them slowly over Rin’s leg.

“A genjutsu?” The voice of Futamo asked from beside Minato who looked aggravated.

“Sakura, don’t look up, concentrate on your work, don’t look up.” Minato said calmly.

Sakura felt the back of her neck heat up, a warning from his formula. Oh no! Her eyes, she thought, had her rinnegan come out when she had used her eyes to relax Rin? Sakura nodded and kept her head down as she continued to move her hands slowly over the girl’s leg. Little by little they watched as the blood, tissue and skin came together before their eyes, knitting once more into solid mass and leaving no marks.

“There, all done.” Sakura sat back on her heels, her eyes closed as she willed her rinnegan into submission and brought back the green of her eyes to the forefront.

Turning slightly she put her hand on Minato’s leg, “Help me up?” She asked him.

He ducked his head, she opened her eyes, he nodded and pulled her to her feet.

“Thank you Minato.” She said relieved, her green eyes shining.

“Rin.” Obito stroked the girl’s short hair and looked up at Sakur with adoring eyes, “Thank you Sakura Chan!”

“Of course Obito.” Sakura turned to Kakashi but was interrupted by Futamo.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I never would have believed such a thing possible. Obito had said that your were the best healer in the world and I admit I didn’t believe him but this,” He gestured to the still unconscious Rin, “Is nothing short of a miracle.”

“No, Futamo San, it is medical jutsu, not a miracle.” Sakura laughed as did Minato and Obito.

“Kakashi, may I have a word with you please?” Sakura pulled Kakashi aside and spoke in a soft voice.

“What happened, Obito said that Rin had gotten hurt with your chidori.” She asked him.

“It was an accident.” Kakashi said, looking at her then looking away.

Sakura looked at the white haired Jounin.

“Is there...anything you need to tell me, or get off your chest Kakashi? I’m a good listener, you know.” She smiled kindly at him.

Kakashi shook his head. Sakura looked at him again and frowned, she could tell there was something bothering him.

“If you change your mind, just know, you can talk to me, if you want, or Minato, you know I’m sure he would be happy to help you if you needed anything.” She tried.

He nodded again.

“Sakura Chan! Rin is waking up!” Obito called to her.

Sakura looked over her shoulder then turned back to Kakashi but he was gone. Sakura could feel him moving quickly through the forest and over the river. She turned back to the small group and nodded.

“Thank you Sakura Sama.” Rin stood and bowed politely to the pink haired medic.

“I’m glad I could help. Would you like to tell me how this happened?” Sakura asked Rin, and looked at Minato and Obito for the answer she couldn’t get out of Kakashi.

“It’s my fault Sakura Chan, I provoked Kakashi, I called him…” Obito looked ashamed.

“Yes?” Sakura prompted him to continue.

“I called him a coward, like his dad.” Obito looked ashamed.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Obito but before she could say anything Minato spoke up.

“You know his father wasn’t a coward Obito. I’m very disappointed in you.” Minato said sternly.

“I’m sorry but he knows how much Rin loves him and he keeps pushing her away! A real man wouldn’t do such a thing!” Obito protested.

Rin’s face flamed red with embarrassment.

“The chidori was meant for me and Rin jumped in front of me.” Obito answered Sakura’s next question before she could ask.

Futamo bored of this line of talk offered his arm to Sakura who looked down at it before taking his invitation. “I believe we were having lunch?”

“Yes, sorry.” She smiled and waved to Team Minato minus Kakashi who watched her as she walked away from the training grounds with Futamo.

Lunch with Futamo had been much more pleasant than she had anticipated and she suspected her little demonstration of her medical skills had been a contributing factor. She suspected he hadn’t believed Obito and had asked her to lunch with the sole purpose of finding out just how much Obito had said was true, now he knew...she was a very skilled healer.

He had walked her back to her apartment after their lunch with a polite bow, thanking her for her company. They exchanged a few words and he had left. All in all Sakura thought the lunch had gone very well. She had turned to open the door to her apartment when an Anbu had dropped down before her, mask intact and told her the Hokage wished to see her. Sakura nodded and flickered to the tower, dropping down and hopping through his office window.

“Sakura.” The Lord Third glared at her openly.

“Uh, sorry Lord Third. I forgot.” She grinned at him not the least bit upset at his continued scowl.

She saw Shikaku, Inoichi and MInato were also there. Minato grinned openly at her while Shikaku and Inoichi’s mouths twitched.

“I’ll use the door to leave.” She offered.

Hiruzen sighed and tented his fingers over one another on his desk.

“Inoichi told me you agreed to have him enter your mind, do you have time now?” He asked out of courtesy but they all knew it was a command.

“Of course Lord Third.” Sakura inclined her head.

“Then if you will?” He gestured to the seat in the middle of the room and Inoichi stepped forward.

Sakura turned her head to the hidden door, she glanced back at the Hokage who looked away not meeting her eye.

Sakura sat down and gave Minato a questioning look. The formula burned gently in the back of her neck, she smiled, it was...reassuring. Shikaku had seen their exchange and the corners of his mouth pinched together slightly. Sakura closed her eyes as Inoichi placed a hand on her head.

“I’ll make this as quick as possible.” He assured her and she nodded, her eyes still closed.

Inoichi’s hand began to tremble against Sakura’s head as he invaded her mind and the others watched. His shoulders began to shake and tears slid down his eyes.

Shikaku looked from Inoichi to the Hokage whose face was grim.

A whimper...from Inoichi, then a gasp of sheer horror, his hand dropped from the woman’s head and he stumbled backward, shaking his head as if refusing to believe what he had seen.

“Impossible.” He gasped out, his hand to his heart. His eyes were wide as he stared at Sakura who had just opened her eyes.

“Inoichi, tell us.” The Hokage said with forced calm.

“Why not invite everyone into the room, so that we may all hear what Inoichi has to tell us, as a group?” Sakura looked pointedly at the hidden door, where she knew Danzo was hiding, then at the Hokage.

Danzo slid the door back and stepped into the room, his one visible eye bore into Sakura’s two green ones. 

“How nice of you to join us Danzo.” She addressed him with no title, no honorific and the bold gesture was not lost on the room.

“Impudent kunoichi.” Danzo looked at Sakura with disdain.

Minato narrowed his eyes at the man, as did Shikaku.

“No, Lord Danzo, not impudent.” Inoichi spoke out among them first.

His eyes were fixed on Sakura with such a horrified intensity, his mouth opened and closed rapidly but no more sound came out.

“Well, what did you see?” Danzo demanded.

“Was that, my daughter?” Inoichi asked her, his voice breaking.

“I advise you to ask your questions carefully Inoichi, not everyone is privy to my understanding in his room.” She gave The Hokage a look of betrayal.

Minato clenched his fists at his side. She had specifically asked for it to only be him, the Hokage and Inoichi and yet, Danzo Shimura was there and Shikaku Nara as well.

“Sakura, the council wanted proof, this will silence any suspicions of your loyalty from now on.” The Lord Third tried to calm her.

“You betrayed me.” She spoke only to the Hokage who flinched, guilt written across his face.

“Inoichi, I gave you my memories freely, choose your words wisely.” She said again.

Inoichi nodded. “She is a kunoichi of the Leaf, a very loyal and skilled kunoichi.” He said.

“What of your daughter, you asked if that was your daughter?” Danzo barked at the man.

“It was not his daughter, but a distant relative of his I had met in my travels while on my classified long term mission.” Sakura said, putting an end to his interrogation.

She turned cold green eyes onto the man that was the root of more problems in her world than she could count on all ten of her fingers. “There is your proof. This conversation is over.”

Sakura turned to the Lord Third, “Ours has yet to begin. Would you like to speak now, or shall I come back later?”

Danzo bristled at her dismissal, who did this woman think she was to dismiss him…

“Kunoichi.” He began.

“Her name is Sakura.” Minato stepped forward, fist clenched.

“I don’t care what her name is, this is not proof enough for me. I want her interrogated by the T&I department this instant!” Danzo demanded.

“That’s not going to happen. You asked for proof, she complied willingly, Inoichi invaded her mind right before your eyes, you have your proof.” Shikaku ground his teeth.

Sakura ignored the talk in the room, ignored the way Inoichi was looking at her. Her eyes bore into those of the Lord Third and his were on the floor.

“I trusted you.” She said on a single breath, her body flickered once and she was gone.

The Hokage looked up to meet the eyes of The Nara, The Yamanaka and the last Namikaze.

“I will speak to her. I will make this right.” He assured them.

Danzo’s voice rang through the room, “You bring an unknown into this village, she is clearly a spy, you care nothing for the safety of the village, your lack of diligence is going to get all of us killed, who knows what information she is passing on and to whom!” He slammed his one hand down on The Hokage’s desk.

“I think you have forgotten who the Hokage is...Shimura San.” Shikaku said in a strong and even voice.

“She has proven her loyalty, it is not the policy of the Leaf to continue to interrogate and spy on their own people, it is not the policy of the Anbu, or of Root.” Minato said, taking a step toward the older man.

“You dare threaten me?” Danzo’s voice rose another decibel.

“We do.” Inoichi found his voice again and stepped forward with the other two men forming a wall in front of the Hokage.

“You will regret this, mark my words, she is a spy, a spy I tell you.” With a thump of his fist on the side of his leg he left the room.

Before the door had even closed the three Leaf shinobi before him turned as one and looked at the Hokage.

“Why was he here Hokage Sama, that was not what we had agreed on.” Inoichi asked.

“Sakura, she feels betrayed now, and she has been, how can she trust us now?” Shikaku asked.

Minato watched the Hokage twist in his seat, his sharp blue eyes burning holes into his skull. Without a word, he flashed away to the top of their apartment building, where he knew she was waiting for him.


	25. Chapter 25

“Sakura.” Minato dropped down to sit beside her.

“How could he do that? He betrayed my trust.” She asked him, her voice steady, controlled.

“I shouldn’t be surprised I guess, but somehow, I am.” She looked at MInato, her violet eyes bleeding through her green in her agitation.

“I wonder,” She continued, “If he was always like that, like this. Weak. If the Hokage I knew growing up really was the coward I learned he was when I got older...I had hoped…” Her voice trailed off.

“Danzo...he won’t stop. Inoichi gave him something to think about, he asked about his daughter Ino, my friend. Danzo is a bastard, but he isn’t a fool. You saw how he picked up on that.” She looked at him expectantly.

“What do we do?” She asked.

“Danzo, is he as big of a problem in your dimension as he is in this one? Is he the leader of Root in your time too?” Minato asked.

She nodded. “Yes he is, he is also the cause for all the tension between the Uchiha and the rest of the village, he is the cause of the massacre, and he is a sharingan thief. He even tried to assassinate the Hokage but Kakashi stopped him.” She said.

“He is also on my list.” She looked at him directly.

“Then it sounds like you already know what to do.” Minato said quietly, “I’ll help you.”

“Minato, you don’t have to help me, it will make you a traitor. I’d not ask that of you.” She said.

“I know that, but there are different kinds of traitors. You know that and I know that.” He took her hand and pulled her closer to him.

“To anyone that would hear us speaking, we are traitors, but to anyone who has seen the future and seen what evil that man brings to the village, we are heros. I’m not trying to be a hero, but I know I’m not a traitor...and neither are you.” He said.

Sakura laid her head on his chest and scooted closer to him. “Thank you for believing in me MInato.”

“I’m not just following you blindly, I’ve been watching Danzo for quite some time now, many of us have...he is a plague, an infection in our village, he always slips through the cracks, moves in the shadows, and poisons the village with lies, deceit and his need for control. He claims everything in the name of the village, for the greater good and maybe part of it is true but it is power that he wants most, power to rule...he has always wanted Hiruzen’s seat as Hokage.” Minato said.

Sakura nodded. She knew that of course, but she hadn’t realized it was so widely known, perhaps that was one of the differences though? Maybe in her time, in her world, it wasn't.

“Do you know where he is Sakura, Danzo?” Minato asked her.

“Of course I do. Since Madara gave me his chakra, my senses are heightened. I knew Danzo was in the Hokage’s office before I jumped through the window, before the Anbu summoned me to the tower.” She smiled up at him.

“Your rinnegan, do you think you can control it?” He asked looking down at her.

“Honestly, I haven’t had any time to train with it, to explore my new abilities. I’ve spent most of my time trying to hide it, to keep my green eyes. I know how Nagato used it, how Naruto used it though.” She said honestly.

Minato nodded, he thought as much.

“Then let’s go train, it's time you learn how to use your rinnegan to protect the Leaf, even if you have to protect her from herself.” Minato kissed the top of her head and they flickered together to the woods, the river and beyond the cave in the Valley of the End, into Sound.

Evil Minato whistled a nameless tune as he walked slowly through the underground tunnels of Root headquarters, trailing his fingers along the wall as he went. He had felt Sakura and his other self traveling in flashes through the Land of Fire to the Sound. He knew they would be back though, he wasn’t worried.

“You’re not allowed down here, turn back.” Two masked Root members dropped down from the rafters to stand before him.

“Tell Danzo I want to speak to him.” Evil Minato grinned at them, he had known they were there.

The two masked nin shared a look and one of them disappeared reappearing with Danzo.

“Namikaze, what do you want?” Danzo asked suspiciously.

Evil Minato grinned. “I want to tell you a story. It’s about a pink haired kunoichi who traveled from her dimension to this one.”

Danzo narrowed his eye on the man before him. “Come with me.”

“Amenotejikara”, Sakura disappeared and reappeared, switching places with a rock on the other side of the lake they were training her new abilities.

“I’m not sure that is as useful as the other ones I want to try.” She said looking at Minato.

“It is nice to be able to switch places with the object instead of just body flickering though, you could use it to switch places with a weapon or a flash bomb.” He suggested.

“True.” She agreed, remembering how Sasuke had used it several times during the final battle.

“Try another.” He suggested.

Sakura nodded. “Limbo Hengoku”. Four clones popped up in front of her and she bit her bottom lip. She could finally see them, the clones Madara had used in their war but none had seen save Naruto.

“Amazing.” She watched them walk around and observe their surroundings, her, Minato and the lake.

“What did you do?” Minato asked, looking around, he couldn’t see them.

“I made clones of myself, I think only people with a rinnegan can see them.” She speculated.

“If I remember correctly, they are extremely powerful.” She watched them walk back and forth, then dispersed them.

“I wonder how I use the Preta Path,” She asked herself.

“The path that allows you to absorb chakra?” Minato asked.

“Yes, I don’t want to practice that on you, in case I pull too much chakra from you and kill you by accident.” She laughed a bit nervously.

“Maybe save that one to try on an enemy, maybe Danzo.” He suggested with a grin.

Sakura walked up to the edge of the lake, “Gravitational Push!” She extended her hand and the water in the lake shot out and away from her at an alarming rate, the floor of the lake bed shone clean as all of the water that it had once contained was pushed back from Sakura’s hand into the forest beyond.

“Whoa.” Minato watched the water break trees in half and push the forest back in on itself.

Sakura looked down at her hand and blinked. “So that’s what it felt like, no wonder he called himself a god.”

“Who?” Minato asked her.

“Nagato, or Pein, he called himself, the leader of the Akatsuki.” She wondered where Nagato and Konan were now, if Yahiko had been killed yet.

“Danzo, he tricked Hanzo of the Salamander, I need to go now, I need to kill him now, before he tricks Hanzo into killing Yahiko!” She started to move but Minato stopped her.

“What are you talking about?” He asked her.

“Nagato, Konan and Yahiko, they form the Akatsuki together, to help Rain, to promote peace, like Hanzo of the Salamander but Danzo, he tricks Hanzo into thinking they are terrorist rebels and has Hanzo kill Yahiko, that is the event I believe sets Nagato on the path of the Akatsuki that decimate the Leaf before the fourth great war, Madara, he used them, the Akatsuki, I think...I think if Yahoki lived...none of that would have happened.” She said quickly.

“We need to go, we need to get back!” She spun on her heel, her violet eyes flashed and she was gone.

“Damn it woman, wait for me.” Minato disappeared as well following her two steps behind.

Sakura landed too hard and stumbled, she was getting used to the power in her eyes but was far from mastering it. While her and Minato had tested her new abilities she could feel her chakra changing to adjust, she felt Kurama’s chakra expanding inside her chest, Madara’s chakra flowing like water through her channels, smooth and strong, she could even feel the faint pulsation of Minato’s chakra in the back of her neck.

Her affinities had changed as well, she felt the wind move between her fingers at the slightest twitch. She was sensitive to the dust and dirt beneath her feet now, the earth hummed in her bones like an old friend. The moisture in the air around her danced and swirled, she could actually see the humidity and vapor moving through the air she breathed, feel it in her lungs, it was surreal. 

The affinity that felt the most powerful though, was fire. She didn’t know if that was because of Madara’s chakra that she had in her or because of her awakened rinnegan, but she could feel the flames of destiny as they beat against and with her aching heart.

Sakura whirled around but no one was there. She could feel him even if she couldn’t see him. Slowly as not to change the green of her eyes she manipulated her chakra behind her eyes to harness the power of the rinnegan. ‘There’, she saw one, then two, no five of them, hiding in the shadows behind a weak genjutsu.

“I know you’re there.” She called out to them, hand on her hip.

“I won’t kill you if I don’t have to. I only want to speak to Danzo, send him out.” She stood her ground at the entrance to Root.

One, then another stepped out until all five Root operatives stood before her. Using her new skill she looked beyond them, there were ten, no maybe twenty more inside their base.

“Only five? Come on now. You underestimate me.” She smirked, she didn’t even need the rinnegan to defeat them.

“I don’t underestimate you.” A familiar voice said from behind her.

“Decide to join us did you?” Sakura turned sideways, keeping both Evil Minato and the Root ops in her line of sight.

“I couldn’t let them have all the fun, could I baby?” He smirked at her narrowed eyes.

“Sound familiar?” He taunted her.

Minato flickered to her side. “Sakura, you tried to leave me behind didn’t you?”

“Never, I was just in a hurry Minato.” She smiled at him, glad he was there.

“I’m here now, shall we move?” He winked at her and she nodded.

The ground exploded around them, she ducked, he rolled and jumped into the air flashing left then right...it was chaos.

She could hear him laughing to her left, then above her, below, beside her. She smiled, he was enjoying this almost as much as she was.

Her fist went through the closest Root operative, she kicked her leg out, dislodging her fist from his chest and shook the blood and sinew from her fingertips laughing, she had needed this.

“Is that all you got?” She roared coming down on her next target with a chakra infused punch that shook the very foundation of the base.

“Damn.” She gasped, Madara’s chakra had enhanced her strength almost ten fold...incredible!

She activated her rinnegan senses and looked around her, two left, Minato flashed up and over, one, two dead...damn but the man was efficient. He stood up and over his last kill with a wild look of blue that made her think of a raging sea, she had never been more attracted to him than she was at that moment.

She bit her lip as she watched him, then shook her head focusing on the moving chakra around her...Danzo, the man was on the move with...She flickered away.

Minato felt the last one fall just as he felt her chakra disappearing from his side.

Using his formula he flashed to her side just in time to deflect what would have been a near fatal blow to the back of her neck.

“Shit.” She gasped. “Minato, my chakra, it’s flaring out of control.” She fell to her knees.

Minato looked down and saw her eyes had faded from green to violet, that wasn’t good.

“What’s wrong baby? Is there something wrong with your chakra?” Evil Minato sang from the shadows.

Minato looked back at Sakura, she was frowning at her hands, her eyes flashed a brilliant white, it was like a weight was lifted from her.

“Nope nothing.” She stood up beside Minato.

“It seems there was something wrong with your seal though, how flimsy.” She smirked.

“Impossible.” Evil Minato narrowed his eyes at her. “Impossible.” He repeated.

“No one can break my seals.” He sounded angry.

“I just did.” She leapt into the air. “You don’t frighten me anymore.” Her fist came down over his head, he sidestepped and flickered but she caught him by the leg and gripped it hard.

“Almighty push!” He flew through the cement wall of the Root base, she moved with him drawing the water around her from the moisture in the air and sent a monstrous wave out from her hands into the abyss she had just pushed him into.

“I must say, I stand corrected. You are impressive, but I wonder how impressive you’ll be after I steal those eyes of yours.” Danzo moved faster than she would have thought possible, but with the help of her rinnegan she saw him move before his foot lifted completely off of the ground.

“Amenotejikara '', Sakura switched places with the man, he stumbled confused and in that moment of confusion she sent out her chakra strings, pulled her short sword from her back and pulled him into her blade.

“Goodbye Danzo. Almighty push.” Her blade twisted and ripped to the side cutting him nearly in half. She watched as his bloodied corpse flew away from her into the wall, through the next room and so forth and so on, the base falling down around them.

“Sakura, we need to go.” Minato was by her side in an instant pulling her back up to her feet and flickering away.

“Where, where did he go?” She panted on her hands and knees on the floor of his apartment.

“That other Minato, the one Madara warned us about, is he dead? I didn’t feel his chakra fade out, it just disappeared like he vanished, or...left.” She looked at Minato who was laying on his back beside her gasping for air.

“Not dead, I felt him there, he’s not dead.” Minato continued to suck air in and coughed beside her.

“Danzo?” He asked her.

“Dead, I felt his chakra fade out flicker then die, he’s dead.” She was sure.

“Good.” Minato closed his eyes, the adrenaline was still coursing rapidly through his veins.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, opening his eyes and turning his head to her. She had never looked more beautiful to him, she was covered in blood, her clothes were torn, her eyes were fierce.

Sakura nodded, crawling over to him. “Minato you were, that was amazing but...you’re covered in blood.” She grinned down at him.

“This is nothing, you should have seen me during the war.” He grinned at her.

Sakura hesitated, she wasn’t sure how to say her next words.

Minato watched her eyes fade in and out of green to violet, then back to green. It was the most dangerous and the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“You like to kill don’t you?” She asked him seriously.

Minato hesitated. “I do.” He said honestly.

Sakura nodded once then twice in full understanding.

“You, you Sakura? You enjoyed that didn’t you? I saw you, a beautiful flower, careening through the bloodied masses.” One of his hands reached up and wiped a bit of blood from her cheek.

“My dangerous bloody blossom.” He couldn’t hide the hunger in his eyes from her. He watched her expression change from shock to understanding to...desire.

“Sakura.” He sat up and leaned toward her pulling her closer to him.

“You’re not who I thought you were Minato.” She whispered and he froze, her breath was hot across his skin and he felt that familiar pull to dominate her deep in his groin.

“What do you mean?” His fingers that had been weaving up into her hair stopped. He swallowed hard. ‘She knew’.

“You’re not the pretty poster boy I thought you were are you?” She lifted her green eyes to his blue, a small smirking curve to her lips.

‘She wants me’, the thought exploded in his head, no turning back...

“No...I’m not.” He growled. gripping her hair tight in his fist and pulled her mouth to his, crushing her lips and forcing her mouth open.

Sakura gasped into his mouth, her eyes closed tight as his mouth moved over hers.

“Minato.” She exhaled loudly moving on top of him straddling his waist and leaning over him kissing him roughly.

At the sound of his name from her lips he flipped her, trapping her body under his and bit down hard on her neck, pressing his hips into her. She bucked and moved underneath him writhing and moaning at his touch.

Frantically she pulled on his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. He stopped kissing her just long enough to help her, throwing the shirt to the corner of the room, his hand immediately going to the ties of her pants.

“Minato please.” She was begging him to touch her and he groaned.

“Fuck Sakura.” He pulled her pants from her waist kicking them off her feet with his own and pulling her shirt off over her head.

Sakura looked up at him, watched him move lower, his teeth pulling at the end of her chest wraps. She sat up and he moved swiftly unwrapping her breasts, his lips pulling one of her nipples into his mouth as she threw her head back biting her bottom lips.

“Sakura, baby please. I want to be inside of you.” He lifted her up and carried her to his bed laying her down gently now and climbing in after her.

“Minato I...I’ve never…” How did she even start to tell him she was a virgin…

“I’ll be gentle, I swear.” He moved to lay down beside her, the frantic passion of the moment after the kill slowly fading to tenderness as he looked at her, eyes open, wide and watching him with want and need, desire but also apprehension and embarrassment.

“We don't have to, I won’t force you.” He ran his hand up her arm, over her shoulder and up the side of her cheek.

“I can wait.” He told her. He would wait, if that’s what she truly wanted.

“Maybe could we just, slow down a little?” She swallowed hard looking at his naked body so close to hers. 

“Maybe we could start by taking a shower together?” She asked, tucking a strand of bloodied hair behind her ear and touching his chest smeared with blood. “And see how it goes?”

“Of course.” He picked her naked bloodied body up off his bed and carried her into his bathroom. “Whatever my lady wants.”


	26. Chapter 26

She stepped into the shower with him, their hands linked as the hot water stung the cuts and scratches on their heated skin.

“Sakura.” Minato moaned her name into her ear as her hands slid up his chest and around his neck.

He backed his heels up against the base of the small shower stall and leaned into her, her back flush with the tiled wall on the other side, his arms under her ass holding her up as her legs wrapped around his waist. 

Her heat, much hotter than the steaming water flowing over them, pressed against his hardened cock, he rocked up against her core, she turned her head to the side and bit her bottom lip, her cheek pressed against the cool tile.

“I love you.” His voice was low almost inaudible as his lips trailed kisses from abdomen to breast.

“I wanted you from the first time I saw you.” His mouth clasp down hard over her nipple pulling her breast deep into his mouth as he moved against her, pressing his cock into the outer folds of her sex.

“I wanted to lick you, suck on you, fuck you.” 

She moaned out, loud and throaty, she could feel his arousal in every swipe of his tongue across her breast, every suck of his mouth over her nipple and every thrust of his cock against her needy sex.

“Fuck me then.” She gripped his hair in her hands as he hoisted her up higher against the wall.

“Fuck me Minato.” She gasped as he shifted her weight against him and felt the tip of his cock pressing up against her entrance.

“Now!” She commanded and he lifted her up, then dropped all of her weight back down over his cock, thrusting the last remaining inch of himself into her virgin core.

A startled scream exploded from her lips and he chased it down with his mouth, the pain was more intense than she had anticipated, but it was nothing compared to the fullness she felt as he started to move inside of her.

“I’m sorry.” He panted, his hands gripping her ass to his waist as he thrust harder and faster into her.

“I can’t be gentle.” He pulled her into him, he pushed out of her, then pulled her into him, over his cock again.

“I don’t care.” She opened her eyes to see intense blue locked onto her darker green.

“Can you feel that, do you like that Sakura.” He lifted her up and dropped her down hard again, her head tossed and turned to the side, her nails dug into the skin on his back, the sting of the puncture wounds he was sure would be there the next time he looked spurred him on as the blood ran down in rust colored rivets down their bodies to the drain.

“Yes Minato. Please Minato.” A smile curved his lips, this...this is what he had wanted.

“Please what baby, please what? Tell me, tell me what you want, beg me, beg me Sakura.” He pulled out of her, his head against hers breathing hard.

She looked at him, her eyes glazed over with lust, confused at his actions.

“Why did you stop?” She breathed out, wiggling her ass trying to move back to where they were before he had pulled out of her.

“Beg me.” He commanded, setting her down so that her legs dropped to the shower floor.

Her arms were still around his neck, her eyes focused now , more clear.

“Fuck me Minato.” She purred into his ear, her tongue flicking out over his skin. “Please.” she was up on her tippy toes humming in his ear.

Minato picked her up, with the water still pounding on their bodies, the wet still on their skin and flickered them to the couch in his living room where their combined wet pooled on the floor around their feet.

Pushing her to her knees on the ground, she growled up at him with lust

“Bend over the couch.” he watched as she turned, and braced her upper body over the couch cushions and looked back at him over her shoulder. He kicked her legs apart and kneeled down behind her.

One hand fisted in her hair, the other grabbed her by the waist. He rubbed his cock up against her wetness, “Beg me Sakura, tell me what you want.”

“You Minato, I want you. I want you to fuck me, please.” She whined.

Minato smiled, she was so sexy, so small and so wet for him. He lined himself up, tightening his fist in her hair and slammed his cock into her. 

Sakura screamed as he hit her cervix, pain jolted through her core and she gasped for air. “ Too hard.” 

She tried to turn her head around to look back at him but his fist held tight preventing her from turning her head.

“Never too hard, you can take it baby, shh.” He bent over her back and cooed in her ear.

“You wanted me to fuck you. This is fucking you.” He leaned back, pulling his one hand from her hair and gathering her arms up with both hands he latched them together at the wrists behind her back. One hand pressed them down hard, stretching them painfully low.

“Minato, stop, you’re hurting me.” She tried to move, tried to get away from him but he bucked harder into her, against her core and she screamed again.

“Take it, you can take it. Take all of my cock into your tight little hole Sakura.” He mumbled as she fumbled with her wrists pulling back on them, pulling her into him harder.

“Fuck Sakura, you’re so tight.” He moved against her.

“Minato stop , please...you’re being too rough, it’s too big, take it out.” She was trying harder to get away now, kicking her legs out to dislodge him.

“Shut up.” he snarled leaning over her back, pushing his body weight over hers to subdue her.

“Minato.” She snarled.

“Sakura.” He moaned, pulling her up, her back arching against him, her chest pushed out as he forced her to move with him, his other hand reached around and grabbed her breast hard, his fingers twisting her nipple. She screamed.

“That’s it baby, scream for me.” He cooed lovingly into her ear.

“Minato please. Please Minato.” She was gasping now with each thrust, whining now with each pulse of his cock against her center.

“Almost baby, almost.” His movements were quick and ruthless as he slammed his cock deeper and deeper into her core, into her cervix. 

Minato could feel her walls tightening around him, could feel her body trembling as he rocked up against her.

“Fuck Sakura.” He gasped as her vaginal walls closed tight around his throbbing cock.

“Fuck.” She breathed out as she orgasamed, her eyes rolling back into her head.

A flood of warmth pushed it’s way past their joining and he came undone, following her high with one of his own, once then twice his hips slapped hard against her ass, he twisted her breast cruelty in his palm and came inside her.

They collapsed to the ground breathing hard, his member locked tight still pulsating against her inner walls.

“I love you.” He whispered over and over again as he wrapped his body around and over her smaller one.

“I love you, thank you, I love you.” He said again and kissed the side of her cheek.

“I think I might love you too.” She said before she closed her eyes, his now softened cock slipping from her body to fall harmlessly against her thigh.

Evil Minato fell to the ground and rolled, leaping to his feet, his fists clenched. ‘Damn that woman! Where the fuck did she get the rinnegan from! Damn that Madara!’, for his nimble brain told him it must have been that man. Another Sakura lost to the nuisance! Sighing deeply Minato looked at the forest around him. 

He had had to use his traveling scroll, if he hadn’t...the damn woman would have killed him. He grit his teeth. She had been the best match, the most formidable, he had been mistaken in thinking she was just a vessel, just another Sakura to drain of her chakra for his end goal. Damn that Madara Uchiha, he would pay for this.

Minato sent his chakra out around him, he was alone. He didn’t sense Madara or any variation of him nearby, in fact, he didn’t sense any human life nearby. How odd. He put his hands in his pockets and started walking, he needed to find out more about this strange new, empty dimension. Not for the first time did he lament on how unfortunate it was you could only go to each dimension once with a scroll, otherwise, he would have gone back to her...with her...he regretted not taking her more seriously from the beginning.

They woke to a loud knocking on Minato’s door. Minato was up and on his feet before Sakura had even opened her eyes. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on as he walked to the couch. She felt the warmth of a blanket fall gracefully over her body covering her from view as he opened his front door.

“Minato, the Hokage wishes to speak with you, do you know where Sakura is? I knocked on her door but there was no answer.” The voice of Shikaku Nara came to her from the open door and she willed herself not to move, not to breathe.

“The Hokage, I’ll be right there. Try her again.” Without another word he shut the door in the Nara’s face and turned to bend over, pulling the blanket from her naked body.

“You should go, it sounds like they know what we did last night, at least the aftermath, not the we part.” He smiled at her, then winked at her thinking of what else they had done last night.

Sakura looked at him, he seemed just the same, he smiled the same, his eyes were the same...but she felt different. Was it just her? Sakura nodded at his words, wrapped his blanket around her more securely and flickered into her apartment as Shikaku knocked on her door. 

She threw the blanket from her shoulders, grabbed a tee shirt from her wardrobe and opened her front door.

“Sakura” Shikaku began but paused looking at her with his mouth slightly open.

She tugged at the hem of her tee shirt, she had grabbed a short one and her face burned red in embarrassment. “Uh yes Shikaku?” She prompted him to continue.

Shikaku swallowed hard, he had never seen her in such a state of undress before. “The Hokage wants you, Minato, Inoichi and I in his office as soon as possible.”

“Okay, let me get dressed and I’ll be right there.” She made to shut her door but he stopped it from closing with a hand.

“I’ll wait for you.” He pointed to the steps in front of her door indicating he would be right there when she was ready to go.

Sakura nodded and closed her door, but not before Shikaku narrowed his eyes on the blanket on the floor of her room by her bed.

A moment later Sakura opened her door to find both Minato and Shikaku waiting for her on her stairs. Minato smiled at her as she made the hands signs for protection one handed and walked down the stairs to greet them.

“What is this about Shikaku, do you know?” MInato asked as they walked to the Hokage’s Tower together.

“There was a cave in last night in one of the old buildings in the forgotten district. The Hokage wants us to look into it and find out if there are any survivors.” He said.

“Isn’t that a job for Anbu?” Sakura asked curious and a little bit apprehensive as to why they specifically, were being summoned for this task.

“He thinks it has something to do with Danzo.” Shikaku looked down at Sakura who was walking next to him, Minato on her other side.

“Danzo? What would that have to do with Danzo?” She asked, with just the right amount of confusion and wonder in her tone. Minato smirked to himself, his flower was so sexy.

“Danzo was the leader of Root, that was his base.” Shikaku put his hand in the small of her back reassuringly, remembering her reaction to his mentioning Root before.

Minato narrowed his eyes at the Nara. It was time he knew that Sakura was no longer his to flirt with, that she belonged to him, Minato.

Minato opened his mouth, but Sakura seeing the look in his eye out of the corner of hers, ‘Tripped’ and grabbed onto his arm to keep her ‘balance’, “Don’t you dare, not yet.” She hissed in his ear as she stood back up.

The formula on the back of her neck burned red hot and she gasped, slapping a hand to the back of her neck and glaring at Minato.

“Sakura, are you alright?” Shikaku asked her in concern.

“Fine.” She mumbled, ignoring Minato’s open smirk.

Inoichi was waiting for them in the office, his face rather grim. He nodded to them as they entered but his eyes remained focused on Sakura as she stood on his other side next to Minato.

He had wanted to talk to her, to ask her more about what he had seen in her head. They both knew he hadn’t said nearly as much as he had wanted to, as they had all expected him to, he had to find a way to speak with the woman alone.

Sakura felt his eyes on her and looked up at him, a small smile curved her lips and she patted him reassuringly on the arm. His eyes opened a bit wider, surprised at her gesture.

“We can talk later, it was a lot for you to take in, I’m sorry I left so...abruptly yesterday.” She apologized holding his gaze.

“I understand. I don’t know where to even begin.” He admitted.

Sakura laughed at that, “I know what you mean.” He saw the wisdom and the humor in her eyes and relaxed a bit.

The Hokage entered his office shortly after and the meeting began.

“Last night Root’s base was attacked. Danzo is dead, his body has been recovered with...startling discoveries. Sakura, I want you to perform his remaining autopsy, Inoichi I need you to erase the memories of the medical team that started his original autopsy. This is now all classified information and does not leave this room.” The Hokage looked at the team before him, all shinobi of the Leaf that he trusted with his life.

“Sakura, before we go any further.” Sarutobi rose from his seat and came to stand before her, his hand rose to set on her shoulder and he bowed his head.

“Please forgive me.” Three words.

Sakura looked into his eyes, the soft brown eyes she remembered from her youth, the trust and the admiration were gone but the foundation remained the same. She sighed.

“Let’s all learn from our mistakes.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

The Lord Third smiled but was both touched and surprised by her gesture and liberties.

“I will, you have my word.” He said, taking his seat once more.

Outwardly she smiled, but inwardly she cringed...the words of good intentions that paved the road to the Leaf’s destruction. ‘No Hokage’, she thought to herself, ‘I will learn from your mistakes and ensure the safety of this village’.

“Shikaku and Minato, I need you to go to the ruins of the Root base and bring back any bodies you might find. I have set up a sealed room in the basement of the hospital for Sakura to conduct the examinations, take any you find, dead or alive there for examination. Inoichi, I have also set up a room for T&I, if any are found alive, I expect you to get to work immediately. I want to know where I went wrong.” The Hokage said in a tired voice.

Sakura didn’t say anything, she didn’t make a sound. He would need to look much farther than the last 24 hours to find out where he had gone wrong but she knew nothing she said would change the way this man felt about his old friend...or about his favorite people.

‘Orochimaru’, the name was a curse etched inside the skull of her head, ‘You’re next’. A smile twisted her lips as she stared past the Hokage out the window behind him and past the village proper toward Sound.

It was time to hunt a snake.


	27. Chapter 27

With each incision of her chakra scalpel Sakura was more and more sure that her decision to go after Danzo had been the right one. Not that she had needed much convincing of course but the deeper she develed into his disgusting body the more horrified she was by what she saw.

He had three sharingan. One in his right eye and two in his arm. She had no idea whose they were but knew that whomever they had belonged to was dead.

There were seals placed along the length of one leg from top to bottom, the sealing jutsu of both sight and speech to control his operatives with. Memories of her old friend and teammate Sai filtered through her mind and anger pulsated menacingly throughout her body, making her chakra flare and crack as it nearly exploded around her.

“Sakura.” Inoichi’s voice broke through her dark thoughts and she looked up, realizing then she had been gritting her teeth and releasing her killing intent freely...by accident.

“Sorry.” She drew her chakra back in and around her subduing her emotions.

“How is it going?” He moved into the room slowly as not to startle or set her off.

“This man disgusts me. I found remote seals up and down one leg and I have just removed and jarred the three stolen sharingan from his right eye socket and his right arm.” She said wiping her hands on a clean towel, then throwing the towel to the ground in anger.

“How...how could the Lord third ignore this evil, ignore what this man was, what he was doing?” She asked Inoichi passionately.

Inoichi shook his head. “I don’t know. The Hokage always wants to see the good in people.”

There wasn’t anything else to say, no words would change the past. Sakura laughed to herself, ‘Change the past’, what a joke.

“Have you had any luck with the two Root members Minato and Shikaku brought to you?” She asked, picking up a pair of pliers and pulling Danzo’s ribs out of his body cavity one at a time with precision.

“Only that they have been spying on and tailing many of Konoha’s elite, most of them Uchiha, but you as well.” Inoichi said, it wasn’t a surprise to her at all.

Sakura nodded.

“The Hokage officially called an emergency council meeting and disbanded Root altogether, all remaining members that weren’t involved in the base attack are now in Anbu custody being held for interrogation.” Inoichi said as he watched her pull Danzo’s intestines from his body and cut them at measured intervals sifting through the tubes with care.

“Good, not all of them are bad, they were just following his orders but some of them, many of them...their minds will be too warped to return to even regular Anbu, much less the village.” Sakura dropped a particularly sloppy piece of intestine into a plastic bag and sealed it with a jutsu before placing it on a cart to the left of her work table.

“What was that?” He asked her curiously. He had never watched an autopsy before.

“Um, it had trace amounts of a foriegn substance in it and I want to save it for later to analyze when I have more time. I’m just getting enough proof for the council to condemn him as a traitor. I know he is dead, but I don’t want his name carved on the memory stone...that is for loyal Leaf shinobi only.” She practically growled.

Inoichi remembered her memory where he had seen her carving names into a second memory stone, little by little, painstakingly etching each name into the obsidian volcanic rock with painstakingly, heartbreaking care. No, she wouldn’t want his name on that rock and he was beginning to understand why she had cut his neck, and was ashamed of it.

“Sakura.” He drew her attention from the mangled bloody mess before her.

“I’m sorry.” He tried to put his all into those two words, so inadequate were they that his face flamed with continued shame and regret.

“Your blonde friend with the blue eyes, the beautiful woman who stood beside you on the battlefield, was that...was that my daughter?” His voice was small and scared.

“Yes.” Sakura met his eyes dead on without blinking.

“That was Ino. She was my best friend, she was beautiful, bold, sassy and loyal. I miss her very much.” Sakura looked back down at her work and scoffed.

“It’s for her, and all the others, all of my loved ones...it’s for them that I’m here, and doing what I’m doing. If I couldn’t save them the pain and the heartache...I’m going to try my damnest to fucking save you, all of you.” Her fist came down hard on the table, the corpse jumped, a satire macabre dance of death before their eyes.

“Pathetic...it was such a waste, a waste...all of them dead, dying, decaying out in the sun, the smell, the bloat, the disease..a waste.” She whispered.

Inoichi rose from his spot by the wall where he had been standing, giving her her space, and wrapped his arms around the small, seemingly fraile pink haired woman. “It wasn’t a complete waste Sakura. You’re here now, we will learn from your world’s mistakes. It wasn’t a waste.”

Sakura mentally stiffened in his embrace, but her body betrayed her and collapsed into his touch.

“Thank you Inoichi.” She sighed.

“You can have a home here Sakura, will us, we can be your family now.” He spoke over her head into her hair and she nodded.

Shikaku and Minato watched the two nin from the doorway, not wanting to interrupt. Sakura opened her eyes to see the two men looking at them with varying expressions on their faces. Shikaku’s face was grim and set but a softness lurked behind his dark eyes, whereas Minato was openly pleased and loving, it startled her. She cleared her throat and stepped away from Inoichi.

Inoichi turned to see who she had seen behind him and coughed embarrassed. He wasn’t typically a man who spoke freely or was poetic with his words.

“We have two more bodies here for you Sakura, it apears the rest of them commited suicide by burning.” Shikaku said, pulling in a body and laying it down on one of the other work tables, Minato behind him with the other.

“Thanks, I’m almost done here then I’ll get working on those.” She pushed Danzo’s butchered corpse into the waiting bag she had set up on the other side of the table before she had begun his autopsy and zipped it, then sealed it.

She sprayed down the work table and wiped it clean, throwing the cloths into the incinerator as she moved to the next table, chakra scalpel ready.

Minato watched as she cut open the body of the nameless Root member and started pulling his innards out and throwing them into different plates she had set for this purpose. She didn’t even flinch when she cut out the man’s heart and dropped it into a cup on the corner of the table. He saw Shikaku watch her with narrowed eyes and Inoichi go slightly green as she pulled one lung out then another and placed them on a plate beside him.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” Shikaku said almost accusingly to her and she looked up from her work, the man’s bladder in her hand.

A small smile curved her beautiful lips, “Of course I am. I thoroughly enjoy cutting apart traitors, piece by piece.” She kept her eyes on Shikaku as she used her chakra to slice open the remaining part of the nin chest and broke one rib at a time.

“You never know what you're going to find.” She said, pulling a small sealing tag that had been lodged up under the man's spine.

Sakura dropped it into a plastic bag with a disgusting squelching noise.

“This isn’t butchery Shikaku, it’s artistry.” She said turning her head back down to her work and ignoring him, he didn’t understand.

Minato was too fixated on his lover to notice the small wooden beetle scurrying away into the crack in the corner of the basement wall...and away back to it’s master.

Shikaku made a small noise of disgust. “I’ve not seen this side of you before Sakura. I’m not quite sure what to think of it.” His voice was low but not threatening.

“Sometimes it’s best not to think about things too closely, lest you get disappointed.” She said without looking up, she had made her decision last night between them without even meaning to, and it wasn’t the Nara.

“Clearly.” Shikaku said.

“Shikaku, come, let’s report to the Hokage, leave Sakura to her work.” Inoichi walked toward the door, his friend didn’t understand, he hadn’t seen her past like he had, he would explain it to him on the way to the tower.

Shikaku hesitated for the spanse of two heartbeats, then pushed his back off of the wall he had been leaning against and followed his friend out the door, one last fleeting look over his shoulder at the pink haired woman whose arms were covered in blood past her elbows and at the blonde who had moved at their departure to stand beside her looking down at her work.

“Come on.” Inoichi guided his friend down the hall and up the stairs to ground level and out the door. “I’ll buy you lunch.”

“I’m not hungry after watching her do that.” Shikaku said with all due seriousness, but Inoichi laughed anyway.

“I can’t say that I am either, maybe some fresh air then.” Inoichi led the way down the street to the park past the Hokage’s Tower.

Minato came up behind her back after the other two men had left and placed little kisses on the back of her neck, her hair had been tied up to keep it from falling into the bloodied corpses while she worked.

“Minato.” Sakura hissed, he was distracting her from her work.

“Hum?” He ran his tongue over his formula on the back of her neck, his mark, proof to anyone she belonged to him and no one else. He had never marked anyone before her and would never mark anyone after her, except perhaps their children.

Want shot to his groin at the thought of impregnating her, feeling the weight of her tummy with his unborn child in it. He pressed his sudden hardness up against her ass.

“Minato.” She said more firmly.

“Come find me when you’re finished here. I want to start where we left off last night, I wasn’t finished with you.” He whispered in her ear and flickered out of the room and away.

She felt his chakra signatured back at their apartment, then disappear as it entered his apartment and wondered briefly why he hadn’t just flickered into his apartment. Ignoring it as meaningless, she bent her head back down to her work.

Sakura hadn’t found anything else in the other two bodies, she sealed and cleaned up after herself, locking the door and sealing it;s contents before flickering to the top of the stairs in the Hokage tower and knocking on the Hokage’s office door...not leaping through his window this time.

“Enter.” His voice was weary and she no doubt knew why. She hated the council...more than anyone else in the Leaf, she was certain of that.

“Ah Sakura, so tell me what do you have for me?” He looked up from a stack of paperwork to greet her.

“My list Lord Third and more than enough proof to convict him ten times over sir.” She handed him her written report which included a video and audio recording of her autopsy on Danzo’s corpse.

Sarutobi nodded, a sadness in his eyes.

“Sir, if I may. Sometimes it’s hardest to see clearly those who are closest to us. This is for the good of the Leaf, he was a traitor many times over and many horribly disgusting ways sir. Do not mourn his death, but the loss of his humanity.” Sakura bowed rigidly, correctly and turned to walk out of the room.

“Do you speak from experience Sakura?” The Hokage asked her.

“Yes.” She said without turning around flickering to Minato’s apartment, into his room, into his arms.

They lay naked in one another’s arms, tangled in his bedsheets and sweat. His hands moved up and down her naked skin as her breath ghosted over his cooling chest.

“The Hokage will be expecting me soon. I’m sure the Nara already gave him his report.” Minato reluctantly pulled his arm out from underneath her naked body and pulled the sheet up more evenly to cover her as he got out of his bed and padded over to his clothes where he had thrown them earlier in his haste to lay with her.

Sakura watched him dress and smiled into his pillow, his scent rose up around her like a claim and she nodded.

“I need to go to the market and get a few groceries. I can make us dinner tonight if you like?” She offered.

“That would be great. I’ll go report and then maybe I could go to the market with you?” He looked back over his shoulder at her.

“I’ll shower while you're gone and be ready to leave by the time you get back.” They smiled at each other, he opened the door and was gone.

Minato knocked on the door to the Hokage’s office and entered after the Lord Third welcomed him with a smile.

“Minato, I wanted to thank you. You’re a loyal shinobi to the Leaf and you put an end to the last war, don’t deny it, if it hadn’t been for you, we would still be at war and I know that. Which is why…” The Hokage took a deep breath. “I’m naming you the next Hokage. Will you accept Minato?”

Minato looked at the old man in surprise.

“Yes, thank you sir, I accept. I’ll do my best to keep Konoha safe, you have my word Lord Third.” Minato bowed low to the Hokage who smiled a tired smile.

“Thank goodness. After this last ordeal. I think it’s time I retire.” He smiled kindly and walked out from around his desk to shake Minato’s hand.

“Now, get going. I’m sure there's a certain pink haired kunoichi who would like to celebrate this news with you.” Sarutobi winked at the blonde.

“Uh.” Minato stuttered.

“I’m old Minato, not blind. Tell her not to wait too long before letting the Nara down easy, I don’t want you taking over with the weight of a love triangle on your shoulders boy.” Hiruzen laughed, feeling a lightness in his heart that he hadn’t felt in a long time. The village was in good hands, between Minato and his pink haired hellion everything would be just fine, he had seen the future in his chakra ball, there was nothing to worry about.

Minato walked down the front steps of the Hokage’s tower back down the street to his apartment and up the stairs, stopping in front of Sakura’s door. He knocked mechanically.

“Minato? Are you alright?” Sakura asked as she looked at him.

She had opened the door and he had just stood there looking at her, a sort of internal warring look of confusion on his handsome face.

“I’m going to be the next Hokage.” He looked up at her and met her eyes.

“I know.” She smiled at him, so The Lord Third had finally told him…

“You...knew?” He couldn’t remember her saying he had actually become the Hokage, only that he had been a hero and saved the village.

“Of course, didn’t I tell you?” She looked confused,

“No.” He said and stepped into her apartment closing the door behind him.

“Well, now you know.” She smiled at him.

“Marry me.” He reached out and pulled her to his chest kissing her hard.

“What?” She pulled away from him.

“I want you to marry me Sakura.” He pushed her up against the wall and boxed her in with his arms by her head.

“Minato.” She started to protest and tell him all the reasons she couldn’t marry him when his mouth covered hers and his tongue invaded her mouth forcefully.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her body against his.

“Is that a yes?” He broke their kiss and pulled her chin up to meet his eyes.

“I need to know if Yahiko of the Akatsuki is dead and I need to kill Orochimaru first...then I’ll marry you.” She said seriously.

“I will send an Anbu recon team out as soon as I’m named Hokage. We can leave tonight to kill Orochimaru, together.” He smiled and she nodded.

Minato picked her up and carried her to the bed, “First, I’m going to fuck you until you beg me to stop, I’m going to make you scream and I’m going to make sure you know who you belong to woman.” He dropped her on her bed.

Grinning at her, his hand fisted in her hair, “On your knees baby.”

Three months later…

Orochimaru had been much harder to find even with Sakura’s knowledge that she possessed about the future and what he had done. They had finally cornered him in a little cave outside of Whirlpool, he had been waiting for them but had not expected Sakura to possess the rinnegan. It had been over before he had gotten one word out. She had used her monstrous strength to ground him and had pulled his soul from his body with her Naraka Path. It was most befitting in her opinion, and this time, the only one who died, was him.

Minato had been made Hokage three weeks after they had returned from their little impromptu mission with Sakura at his side.

Shikaku had understood, and agreed with Sakura that Minato was a much better match for her, they had hugged and a week later she had seen him in the market having lunch with Yoshino, waved to them both and wished them well.

Kushina and Sakura remained friends and would come over to her apartment almost as much as Sakura would go over to hers and for a time, all seemed well with the world. Until Sakura and Minato woke to a loud knocking on his door...the Anbu team had returned from their recon mission in Rain...with bad news.

“Hokage Sama. The shinobi named Yahiko who you wish us to find and observe is mortally wounded, he might already be dead as I speak. We found the group where you told us they would be, their morale is frail, it would not take much to crush their remaining forces Sir.” The Anbu captain reported.

“I do not want them crushed. Thank you, you are dismissed.” Minato turned to the hidden door as Sakura slid it back stepping into the room.

“I’m going, I have to heal him.” She turned to walk from his office when he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“I don’t want you to go alone. Take Obito with you. Be safe.” He kissed her lightly on the side of her mouth as she flickered away.

“Sakura Chan, you say this Yahiko guy is a good person? I’ve heard the opposite.” Obito was skeptical about their mission to heal the leader of the Akatsuki.

“Keep up Obito, use your teleportation like I showed you.” She flickered away, Obito only a step or two behind her.

“Why are we going to heal him, isn’t he a Rain shinobi?” Obito complained again.

“We are healing him because the Akatsuki right now want peace, they believe in and follow the ways of Hanzo the Salamander, the same man who gave the three Legendary Sannin their titles.” She told him as the flickered across the border into Rain.

“It sounds too good to be true to me.” Obito said as they appeared outside of the main pipeline to the Akatsuki’s hideout.

“Walk slowly Obito, there are three guards hidden on the roof, two in that building over there and one behind us.” Sakura said calmly as he walked up to what appeared to be the front door of the base.

“Who are you and what do you want?” A voice stopped them from going any further and two Rain nin appeared in a puff of smoke and blades before them.

“I am Sakura medic nin from Konoha, I am here to heal Yahiko, your leader at the request of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage.” She said.

“She’s also his intended.” Obito added.

“Why would the Fourth Hokage send his Lady to heal the leader of the Akatsuki?” A soft quiet voice asked as a purple haired girl stepped out of the shadows.

“Konan San, it is very nice to meet you in person. I have heard all about you from Jiraya Sensei, Minato’s first teacher, as well as yours.” Sakura inclined her head to the girl who blinked.

“Let them pass. Please, follow me.” Konan turned on her heel and led them into a large room, down a hall to more intimate quarters where an orange haired teen lay panting on a large bed.

“Yahiko, the Fourth Hokage, a student of Jiraiya's has sent his Lady...to heal you.” She looked back at Obito and Sakura with those last words as though she might have heard her wrong.

Sakura bowed slightly and pressed Obito’s head down pointedly beside her when he hadn’t moved.

“I am Sakura, I am pleased to meet you Yahiko. Will you allow me to look at your injuries?” Sakura stepped forward.

“First, “ The red head gasped, he was clearly in pain, “Tell me why, why does the Hokage of a powerful shinobi village care if someone like me lives or dies, enough to send his own fiance to see me?” He looked at her skeptically.

“Is Nagato here by chance?” Sakura asked, answering his question with one of her own.

Yahiko and Konan shared a look, Yahiko nodded. Konan left the room and returned shortly with Nagato.

“Nagato Uzumaki, I am pleased to meet you.” Sakura looked at the young man with interest, letting her green eyes fade to the ringed purple of her rinnegan.

“Cousin.” She said and smiled at his shock, his own purple eyes widening considerably.

“I will let you heal me, with my thanks.” Yahiko said, his own eyes traveling from Nagato to Sakura as her eyes faded back to their natural green.

“How do you, cousin did you say?” Nagato asked her.

“Yes, it is a very distant connection, but since there aren’t many left, I suppose that makes us cousins.” She laughed as she approached Yahiko’s bedside.

“Try to relax, this won’t hurt, it is just the diagnosis, I just need to see how extensive your injury is before I begin.” She let her hands glow with her chakra and ran them over his abdomen where she could see the bloodied bandages were the thickest.

Sakura gasped, she couldn’t believe he was still alive.

“You’ve...been poisoned...how long have you had this wound?” She looked up at the red head.

“Three weeks, maybe a month.” He grimaced.

“I can’t believe you’re still alive.” She narrowed her eyes and started peeling back the bandages, “Anticoagulant.” She mumbled.

“Who...where were you when you got this, who were you fighting do you know?” She asked her eyes sharp and fastened to his face.

“A puppet master, I never saw their face, but they were one of the toughest opponents I have ever fought, we barely got away. Wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Konan.” Yahiko shot Konan an appreciative look that wasn’t lost on Sakura.

“I need to remove the poison from your body, but…” She hesitated, this was going to be painful and he was already so close to death, curing him, might kill him.

“Just do it.” He grit his teeth. He could see the hesitation in her eyes and although he might not have completely understood it he understood she didn’t know if she should proceed, that much had been clear from the look on her face.

“Obito, I need bowls, lots of bowls of lukewarm water and then empty bowls, just as many.” Sakura commanded.

“Yes Sakura Chan!” Obito pulled his storage scroll from his waist and infused his chakra into it pulling out the bowls she requested.

Konan and Nagato helped him with the water and soon the bowls of water and the empty bowls were sitting on a smaller table beside Sakura and Yahiko per her request.

“Obito, Nagato, come here and hold him down, it is imperative he moves as little as possible. Konan come to Yahiko here.” She pointed at his head.

“Make sure he doesn't pass out on me, I need him conscious for this and don’t panic if he screams...a lot, because I’m not going to lie. This is going to hurt like a bitch.” Sakura threw her hands out in front of her and cracked her knuckles…a small little wooden beetle sat on the ledge as she picked up a bowl of water in one hand and drew the poison out with the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day...going to bed now...I hope


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied, fourth and final chapter today

Three hours. It had taken her three hours with only a few minutes break in between for Yahiko to vomit once or twice, but now he was free of the poison.

Unlike Kankuro in her time and space she had perfected her technique and was able to use the water to push and pull all the poison out of someone’s blood, chakra and tissues, leaving nothing but healed and new cells to replace the poisoned and damaged ones.

Konan entered the guest room they had given Obito and her with a tea tray which she set silently on the side table next to the couch.

“Dinner will be in a half hour. You are more than welcome to join Yahiko, Nagato and I in our private chambers, or I can have someone send your dinner up to your room if you like.” She offered.

“I would like to join you, if it isn’t a bother. I have a few questions for the three of you and I am sure you three have questions for us.” Sakura smiled kindly at the girl who smiled back.

“We do.” She admitted.

“I will send Nagato later to gather you for dinner, call out from your door if you need anything before then, we are indebted to you.” Konan bowed low and exited the room, clicking the door softly shut behind her.

“Sakura Chan, that was amazing and you’re sure he will heal completely?” Obito asked once Konan had left.

“He is healed completely now, he only needs a good night’s sleep. He will be back to normal tomorrow morning.” She poured their tea for them, adding a drop of milk to her own before bringing it to her lips.

“Rin can’t wait to start training under you Sakura Chan, when will you start her training?” Obito wondered.

“Let’s see how things turn out here, but I think if they go the way they have been I can start training her after the wedding.” Sakura said with a small yawn, healing Yahiko had taken a bit of a toll on her, not nearly as large a toll as Kankluro had but still, she was more than a little tired.

“I went by the Uchiha memorial stone before we left for Rain, have you seen it lately?” He asked her, slurping his tea noisily.

“Not lately, when it was first completed, I went to see it but after, since I mean, I haven;t. Why?” She asked.

“People have left so many flowers Sakura Chan, and not just Uchiha. I saw two Yamanaka women there arranging a small bouquet of flowers right in the middle of the stone, it was...really nice to see.” Obito’s voice dropped a bit and it made Sakura look up at him.

“Obito, are you crying?” She asked him gently.

“What?!” He swiped at his eyes with his sleeve.

“I’m not crying, I just got sand in my eye or something, but I’m not crying it’s just allergies, my eyes are watering is all.” He said quickly.

“Of course Obito, my mistake,” She hid her smile in her tea cup.

“I’m glad the Third Hokage commissioned that stone for the Uchiha, I hope your clan sees how much the village appreciates them.” Sakura wondered what the Uchiha thought of Minato becoming Hokage.

“They appreciate how much you appreciate them, Sakura and are looking forward to your marriage almost as much as Minato Sensei.” Obito laughed.

Sakura was confused, “What do you mean Obito?”

“Sakura Chan.” Obito’s tone was condescending and she blinked at the boy.

“We know you’re the one who commissioned the stone.” Obito said laughing at her. “How could you afford such a thing, Sakura Chan, it must have been wicked expensive.”

“We know you paid for it.” He added.

She shrugged and he continued.

“We didn’t know why though, it was the talk of the compound for months.” He smiled at her.

“I don’t think anyone figured out why either.” He tapped his fingers on his crossed arms as he looked at her.

“I won’t ask you why, but I will say this, even the old crusty elders of the clan admit it was a clever move. The villagers didn't know how many our clan had lost, now there is a number engraved on the stone to show our contribution. Civilians and other shinobi from other clans stop and thank random Uchiha on the street in the market for their loyalty Sakura Chan.” He said seriously.

“I think you might have single handedly stopped a civil war.” Obito laughed at his joke.

“But seriously, the Uchiha who were all for up and moving, no longer want to leave, the ones who felt that they had never really belonged there, want to open the doors to the compound now.” He smiled at her.

“You’re nothing short of a miracle you know that Sakura Chan?” He laughed at her expression.

“The Uchiha can’t wait to see what you can do for the village as the Hokage’s wife. Tenma even spoke out at the last clan meeting, saying he knew you were capable of great things.” Obito rubbed his head.

“That guy is really hard to impress!” Obito’s grin was infectious and Sakura found herself not above grinning right along with him like a loon.

Not long after Nagato had knocked on their door and escorted them back into the more intimate bedroom Yahiko shared with Konan and Nagato. Dinner had been set out casually on a large table, plates stacked at the end.

“We’re pretty informal here, grab a plate and help yourself to whatever you like.” Yahiko said, waving his hand over the table, grabbing a plate and handing it to Konan.

“How are you feeling?” Sakura asked once everyone had gotten a plate and sat down in chairs set around the room to eat companionably.

“Great actually, your healing skills are just amazing, I’ve never known anything like it! I’ve never heard of anyone who could heal like you can.” Yahiko was ecstatic, he had really thought he was going to die.

“I’m glad I got here in time. I’m sorry. I would have come sooner but we didn’t know.” She apologized.

“You did make it here in time, that’s what matters, but what matters more is that you came at all.” Konan said.

“I admit, I too am a bit surprised, Rain is a small nation of no great importance to anyone but those that live here. Why would Konoha, a great shinobi village care about me? I’m just the leader of some small nation do-gooders.” Yahiko laughed.

“We admire your goals and your values. As a large village, it is hard to see everything that goes on underneath the underneath.” Sakura paused.

“We have recently, my soon to be husband and I the Fourth Hokage, weeded out a particularly vile cancer that was attacking the foundation of what our village was founded on, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure it stays that way.” Sakura said seriously but couldn’t help but smile as Obito nodded his head vigorously at her words.

“The next generation, that’s what matters here, you, Obito here, it’s easy to get lost on the road of life sometimes.” Sakura laughed.

“Your rinnegan, Sakura Sama. Were you...I mean, were you born with it?” Nagato asked.

“No, I awakened it, through trauma and a little help from a friend.” She said honestly.

“I thought, you said you were a distant Uzumaki, are you also part Uchiha?” Nagato asked and Obito’s head snapped round to stare at Sakura.

“I have a special chakra, that gives me longevity, like yours, but mine is also...how do I say this, similar to that of the Uchiha clans, but no, I am not an Uchiha.” She smiled.

The three students of jiraiya nodded wisely at her words.

Obito and Sakura left the next morning to many thanks, and promises to stay on the right path, the path of peace and unity, of forgiveness and light.

Sakura smiled as they walked back to Konoha, Obito humming a tuneless melody beside her.

“Sasori Sama, should we send word back to Suna that the Hokage’s fiance has made an alliance with the Akatsuki?” The Sand nin asked his Team Lead quietly.

Sasori didn’t say anything but his amber eyes watched the pink haired woman walking below them with a certain hunger he wasn’t familiar with and didn’t understand.

“Yes.” Sasori finally answered him. “Add, that now is the time to reach out to the Leaf to further solidify our alliance. I told them they should have done so before the third war had broken out as well. She has the rinnegan.”

Sasori watched the Konoha duo walk steadily over the rise and out of sight.

“The red head of the Akatsuki has it as well. Besides, the Sand is no match for the Yellow Flash of Konoha, perhaps if he wasn’t Hokage, we could have succeeded in taking over, but as it is…” Sasori’s voice trailed off with his thoughts.

She had cured the Akatsuki Leader of his poison by a new and innovative procedure using her water release jutsu. Sasori hadn’t even thought it possible, much less thought of it himself. The woman fascinated him. He wanted to strengthen their alliance so he could see her face to face, and ask her openly, get her opinion...challenge her to a spar…

Six months later…

“Sakura, you look so beautiful. Are you nervous?” Kushina teased her as they waited in the room outside of the meeting hall where the wedding would take place in a matter of moments.

“No, but um..there sure are a lot of people out there.” Sakura peeked around her friend’s head out into the massive hall and almost fell backward.

“The Kazekage is here and the Raikage, and the Mizukage...the Tsuchikage showed up two days early, the old bat.” Kushina laughed.

Sakura nodded absently as she looked out over the crowd and spotted a mess of red hair.

“Why is that asshole here?” Sakura glared at Sasori who seemed to have felt the weight of her stare, he turned his head to look at her and smirked.

“He’s the Kazekage’s brother Sakura, can’t you two get along for one day, it’s your wedding ya know!” Kushina smiled at her hot tempered, short tempered friend.

“He just really gets under my skin and makes me want to punch him in the throat...then kick him...repeatedly.” Sakura narrowed her eyes at the redhead.

“You’re just saying that because every new poison he comes up with you’re forced to find an antidote for it...but you do, every time.” Kushina pointed out, it was good to have a healthy rivalry...sometimes.

“He’s just so damn smug, I want to slap him.” Sakura bristled.

“OOOOOkay, that’s enough crowd gazing for you, you're letting your killing intent leak ya know, do you want a team of Anbu to crash your wedding or something?” Kushina asked, her hands on her hips.

Sakura scoffed, “As if, they know I can handle anything that might come up.”

“And people call me the red hot habanero.” Kushina muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Sakura whipped her head around to look at her friend.

“Nothing. Let me just go look outside and see how things are going shall I?” Kushina bolted from the room and ran down the hall.

Sakura knew one day she would look back on this day and wonder where her head had been, wonder why she hadn’t paid more attention to the details, but as she walked up to join Minato at the altar, the only thing she saw...was him. 

The only voice she heard was his, as he asked her to pour the ceremonial Sake. The only heartbeat she heard, was hers, pounding forcefully in her chest and the only color she could see, was the ocean blue of his eyes, as calm as the meaning behind his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to come, Madara will find a Sakura of his own on the path to true happiness...uncross your fingers Daveeran, but don't hold your breath...it might take me a bit to get to it:P


End file.
